Almost 100,000 extra outpatient appointments will have been delivered across Wales by the end of December.
In June, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles announced £120m to help tackle waiting times. This has seen tens of thousands of extra appointments delivered – including weekend slots – for patients throughout the country.
The funding is also helping provide 20,000 more cataract operations by March 2026.
Today’s NHS performance figures show that in October, six health boards saw the total number of people waiting for treatment go down.
Swansea Bay has no patients waiting a year or more for their first outpatient appointment, while Powys and Hywel Dda have only one and six respectively.
There was a fall of 7.1% in October compared to September in the number of people waiting longer than the target time for diagnostics.
October also saw 14,533 patients receiving the good news they did not have cancer.
The overall time the Welsh Ambulance Service waited to transfer people to staff at the hospital’s emergency department fell by nearly a third in November when compared with the same month last year. Delays of over one hour were also down 30% compared to November 2024.
The latest figures for planned care do not include statistics for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The review examining Betsi Cadwaladr’s data collection, quality assurance, and reporting processes is making good progress, and the Health Secretary has said he wants accurate reporting restored as quickly as possible. Full NHS performance figures are expected to be reinstated from January.
Today’s statistics come as urgent and emergency care services across Wales are seeing high demand.
With nearly 89,700 attendances, November 2025 saw the highest attendances to all emergency departments for any November on record.
People are being urged to only call 999 for genuine emergencies and to think carefully about where to get the care they need. When urgent care is needed, the NHS 111 Wales is available online or by phone 24 hours a day, every day, helping advise and direct people to the right service.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “Providing almost 100,000 extra appointments shows our commitment to getting people seen quicker – that’s what the public want and what we’re working to deliver.
“I’m also pleased we’re on track to deliver 20,000 cataract operations by March 2026. In September, I visited the cataract unit at Llandough Hospital and the dedication of staff to making this happen is clear.
“We know the winter puts extra pressure on the NHS, and it’s vital everyone thinks carefully about which service is right for them. NHS 111 is there 24/7 to help, and we all have a role to play in supporting our health services.
“Health and social care staff will be working throughout the Christmas and New Year period, as always, and I want to thank them for their continued commitment to providing the best possible care.”
