Plaid Cymru has responded to the latest waiting times in the Health Service, noting disappointment that a plan to deal with the significant backlog is not expected until April.
The waiting figures, published today by the Welsh Government, show that no single target has been met in any of the areas concerned. The waiting times for diagnosis, therapy, waiting times in accident and emergency departments and ambulance response times all remain significantly above target.
Among the figures, 683,000 cases are reported to be waiting for a clinical pathway – the largest figure since 2011.
Responding to the news that the Welsh Government plan to tackle the NHS backlogs will not be published until April, and as the latest NHS waiting times figures are issued, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for health and care, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said,
“The evidence tells us that there is less pressure on our NHS from coronavirus, and yet Welsh Government has been too slow to react to this good news. When faced with such a time-sensitive task as getting the NHS back on track, there is no time to waste.
“Undoubtably the pandemic has had a massive impact on the ability of our NHS to diagnose and treat patients – the waiting times now are beyond shocking. But they weren’t good enough before the pandemic.
“Welsh Government should be ready with a recovery plan now, just as they should have had a plan in place before the pandemic. April is too long to wait for such an important matter.”
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
