Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor has responded to the latest NHS Wales activity and performance data for July and August 2026, saying the inherited waiting-list backlog remains too high.
He said the Welsh Government is putting measures in place to improve waiting times, including a clinically led approach to clear the longest waits and bring the overall waiting list down to pre-pandemic levels before the end of the current Senedd term.
Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “These figures are disappointing and performance is not where we want it to be. The inherited waiting list backlog remains too high, and tackling it remains our top priority.
“This is why we are putting measures in place that will improve waiting times for people on a sustainable basis and ensure nobody is waiting more than two years for treatment.
“Earlier this month I announced how we are following a clinically led approach to clear the longest waits and bring the overall waiting list down to pre-pandemic levels before the end of this Senedd term.
“This is a new solution to an old problem, and one I am confident will not just cut down the existing backlog, but will keep it down on a permanent basis.
“We will do this by ensuring people start their treatment quicker, working with health boards to boost surgical capacity and reforming follow-up appointments to ensure more people are seen for the first time.
“Our plans to reset how planned care is delivered in Wales have been backed by an extra £145m being invested in NHS Wales this financial year. The funding includes £100m to support our aims of reducing NHS waiting times, £25m in new surgical and diagnostic hubs, and £20m on essential maintenance across the NHS estate.
“Health boards are now carrying out these plans and we need time for them to filter through the system and have an impact. I expect to see them making progress soon.
“I welcome the progress in urgent and emergency care, particularly on ambulance patient handovers, where performance within 45 minutes was the best since May 2021. Response times to the most serious incidents and 12-hour emergency department waits have also improved. But the overall position is still not good enough, and I expect health boards and NHS organisations to maintain momentum and deliver further, sustained improvement.
“Nearly 2,250 started their first definitive cancer treatment in July, an improvement compared to the previous month, whilst more than 15,000 people were told the good news they did not have cancer. Performance against the 62-day cancer target also improved in July.
“Our incredible NHS and social care staff continue to work tirelessly to ensure people across Wales receive the care they need. I’d like to thank them for their efforts and everything they are doing, often under great pressure, providing both care and compassion.”
