A series of Welsh Conservative Freedom of Information requests have revealed that since the May 2021 Senedd election, where Labour formed yet another Welsh Government with the support of Plaid Cymru, 38,374 patients had died while waiting for NHS treatment.
The Labour Health Minister, now First Minister, Eluned Morgan promised to eliminate two-year waits for treatment for the last two years (by March 2023 and again by March 2024), but failed to meet these targets and still has not. In England, these long waits have been virtually eliminated.
In addition to this, since the 2021 Senedd election and the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru, patient pathways in Wales have increased by almost a third.
In the Senedd on Wednesday 25th September, Labour, Plaid Cymru and the sole Lib Dem all failed to vote in favour of a Welsh Conservative motion calling on the Welsh Government to adopt our plan to fix the Welsh NHS, prevent more needless deaths, and reduce waiting lists.
During the debate, Russell George MS for Montgomeryshire said:
“There are thousands and thousands of people waiting over two years for treatment in Wales.”
He went on to say:
“If this Government were serious about reducing waiting lists, it would be making use of the spare capacity that is in England.”
Russell George MS went on to read an extract from a letter from Robert Jones Agnes Hunt Trust Chief Executive, informing a patient that she cannot receive an initial outpatient appointment until it reaches the 52 week mark because of advice from Welsh Commissioners (Powys Teaching Health Board). James Evans MS has heard similar stories from his constituents were operations have been postponed and delayed, with new waiting times of around 2 years.
Commenting after the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, James Evans MS, said:
“Powys Teaching Health Board should not be delaying treatment in England. It is dreadful that we cannot access the available capacity in English hospitals for Welsh patients and in the meantime, I have constituents suffering in pain, losing mobility and independence as a result. The First Minister Eluned Morgan MS has repeatedly said this is unacceptable, yet she sits back and allows the Health Board to implement this harmful decision and has refused to intervene.”
“I agree with Russell George MS statement that he believes this will not save a penny for the Health Board. It is kicking the financial can down the road to a later date, and could even incur more costs with more emergency admissions, more appointments, physio and care needed because of the longer waiting times. Powys Health Board must live within its means, but I also recognise Welsh Labour is not funding Powys Teaching Health Board as it should, and it needs to recognise the use of English hospitals to reduce waiting times and fund it accordingly.”
“I am very disappointed in Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems for uniting together in failing to vote for our credible plan to fix the Welsh NHS. Instead of backing our solutions to the health crisis faced by Wales, Labour, Plaid and the Lib Dems prefer to prioritise 20mph speed limits and creating more politicians, instead of more doctors and nurses for our hospitals. Unlike Reform, the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix our Welsh NHS and reduce NHS waiting lists, guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment, and introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee.”
