LABOUR FAILING WALES ON HEALTH

Plaid Cymru MS, Mabon ap Gwynfor has criticised the Welsh Labour Government for never succeeding in hitting any of their Planned Care Recovery Plan targets. 

The latest data on waiting lists have shown that the targets for decreasing waiting lists set out in the Planned Care Recovery Plan have been missed once again. 

Five targets were set in the Planned Care Recovery Plan, created in 2022, to reduce or eliminate certain waits within the NHS in Wales. 

The targets in the Planned Care Recovery Plan are as follows: 

• No one waiting longer than a year for their first outpatient appointment by the end of 2022. 
• Since setting the target, it has never been met. 
• Eliminate the number of people waiting longer than two years in most specialities by March 2023. 
• Since setting the target, it has never been met. 
• Eliminate the number of people waiting longer than one year in most specialities by Spring 2025. 
• Since setting the target, it has never been met. 
• Increase the speed of diagnostic testing and reporting to eight weeks and 14 weeks for therapy interventions by Spring 2024. 
• Since setting the target, it has never been met. 
• Cancer diagnosis and treatment to be undertaken within 62 days for 80% of people by 2026. 
• Since setting the target, it has never been met. 

Mr ap Gwynfor explained how the statistics released today saw an ‘see-sawing of data [that] is completely unsustainable’. He referred to the fact that the percentage of cancer patients meeting the 62 day target had fallen this month, from 61.3% to 60.2%, both substantially below the 80% target.  

The Plaid Cymru health spokesperson said Labour were at fault for ‘normalising low expectations’, by celebrating the fact that the NHS is missing ‘already diluted’ targets, such as the First Minister’s target to reduce two year waits to 8,000 by Spring 2025, after failing to eradicate them by 2022 as originally hoped in the Planned care Recovery Plan. 

Mr ap Gwynfor went on to explain that Labour’s failure to reduce waiting lists are having adverse effects on the rest of the Government’s actions, with increasing amounts of money being spent on attempting to, and failing to reduce waiting lists - a total of £1.5bn in this Senedd term alone. 

In response to the waiting lists announced today, Plaid Cymru health spokesperson, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said: 

"Any progress is welcomed, but this see-sawing of data is completely unsustainable. The Government's response is to put an extremely expensive sticking plaster on a very deep wound.  

“The truth is that the waiting lists are a symptom of deeper problems within the health service, and until they get to grips with these problems - governance, social care, and primary care - then we will continue to see the figures see-saw up and down. 

“This is why Plaid Cymru have put together comprehensive plans Co-designed by clinicians and NHS managers to tackle the waiting lists in the short term, and fix the foundations for the long term. 

“The failure to meet the cancer targets again is especially concerning as we know that early treatment saves lives, which is why we need a comprehensive Cancer strategy for Wales, rather than the current muddled approach". 

On the Welsh Government failing to meet any targets since first set, Mr ap Gwynfor added: 

“Labour have never hit any of the targets for our NHS. Even worse, if you were to backdate the statistics to before the targets were set, they haven’t been hit for over a decade.

“Labour have had countless opportunities over decades to reduce waiting lists, but they continue to fail, even when compared against already diluted targets.

“People are waiting longer for treatment across Wales and are living in both physical and mental pain, yet Labour have attempted to normalise low expectations and are somehow claiming wins for non-existent progress.

“With over £1.5 billion spent on tackling waiting lists over this Senedd term and record numbers still waiting for treatment, it’s clear that Labour’s time is up after 26 years of failure. 

“The people of Wales deserve better, they deserve an NHS fit for purpose, they deserve new leadership. 2026 offers the people of Wales the chance for new leadership under Plaid Cymru, that will take seriously the challenges faced by our NHS, for a healthier Wales.”

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MOVING THE GOALPOSTS

The latest NHS performance data shows Labour Government in Wales missing targets on countless measures despite having moved the goalposts on NHS waiting times. .

Latest NHS activity and performance summary released today (Thursday, 22 May 2025) for March and April 2025 has shown the Labour Government in Wales have missed a vast series of targets aimed at reducing waits in the Welsh NHS.

One significant target missed is the First Minister’s target to reduce two year waits to 8,000 by the Spring of 2025, a target set after missing the Welsh Government’s initial target of eradicating two year waits by March 2023. The Welsh Government have been accused of “moving the goalposts and still missing” by Plaid Cymru’s health spokesperson, Mabon ap Gwynfor.

A series of other historical targets are still being missed by the Welsh government. These include:

• Target: No one waiting for longer than a year for their first outpatient appointment by the end of 2022 (a target established in the planned care recovery plan).
• Reality: the number of pathways waiting longer than one year for their first outpatient appointment was 71,000
• Target: maximum wait for access to specified diagnostic tests is 8 weeks, and maximum wait for access to specified therapy services is 14 weeks – to be achieved by Spring 2024.
• Reality: 35,200 patient pathways were waiting longer than the target time for diagnostics and 4,000 patient pathways waiting longer than the target time for therapies.
• Target: No patients waiting longer than one year in most specialities by Spring 2025
• Reality: Of the total pathways, 155,800 were waiting more than one year

The Government has also missed a series of rolling targets, including:

• Target: 65% of red calls (immediately life-threatening, someone is in imminent danger of death, such as a cardiac arrest) to have a response within 8 minutes.
• Reality: Only 50.9% of red calls arrived within 8 minutes
• Target: 95% of new patients should spend less than 4 hours in emergency departments from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge.
• Reality: Only 67.7% of patients spent less than 4 hours in emergency departments
• No patient waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge.
• In April, 10,186 patients waited 12 hours or more in emergency departments.
• Target: 95% of patients waiting less than 26 weeks from referral.
• Reality: Only 55.2% of patients have been waiting less than 26 weeks.
• Target: No patients waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment from referral.
• Reality: 268,400 patient pathways had been waiting more than 36 weeks (34.0%)
• Target: At least 75% of patients should start treatment within 62 days (without suspensions) of first being suspected of cancer.
• Reality: Only 63.5% of pathways started their first definitive treatment within 62 days of first being suspected of cancer.

Plaid Cymru have criticised the Labour Government’s mismanagement of the NHS over the last 26 years of power, accusing them of running the Welsh NHS into ‘the ground’, by ‘constantly’ missing targets with ‘no real sign of change’.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Health, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said: 

"Hundreds of thousands of people on waiting lists, over 8,000 of those waiting over two years. The fact that any Government is trying to claim that as a win, is a sign of how far down the road of Labour mismanagement we are.

"A record of constant failure and missed targets - that is the record of this Labour Government when it comes to our NHS. A record of people waiting too long, not getting the service they deserve – a record of failure.

“Even after moving the goalposts from their original target of eradicating two-year waits in 2023, Labour have still managed to miss their targets. Not only that, but on every single performance indicator – Labour have missed their targets.

"An NHS run into the ground, and waiting lists as long as this simply isn’t as good as it gets for Wales, our NHS can be so much more than this. With a new government with a credible plan for our NHS, a plan to reduce waiting lists and reform our NHS for the future. That is what Plaid Cymru offers in 2026."

- ENDS - 

NHS WAITING LISTS ARE ‘NOT STATISTICS TO CELEBRATE BY ANY MEASURE’

Labour Welsh Government falling ‘woefully short’ on own 2 year waiting list targets

 

Despite a small decrease in NHS waiting list figures published today, the NHS activity and performance report for February and March 2025 show that in February, when there were just over 793,900 open patient pathways, there were about 614,200 individual patients on treatment waiting lists in Wales.

 

The data also suggests that the Labour Welsh Government are set to miss their target of bringing two year waiting lists down to 8000 by Spring 2025, with nearly 16000 pathways still waiting over two years. This comes following repeated missed targets set in the Welsh Government’s planned care recovery plan, aiming to eliminate two year waiting lists originally by March 2023.

 

While the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care has said he is ‘very happy’, Plaid Cymru have responded to the figures stating that ‘these are not statistics to celebrate by any measure.’

 

Responding to the waiting list data for February and March 2025, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Health and Care said:

 

"Despite seeing a small decrease today, these are not statistics to celebrate by any measure. Over one in five of the population is on a waiting list, over fifteen thousand people are waiting more than two years, and only 60% of cancer patients are seen within the recommended time. Any improvements in the dire statistics are of course welcomed, but let’s not pretend that things are good, or anywhere near as they should be.

 

“On their own targets, the Welsh Labour Government are falling woefully short. Last year, the First Minister said she’d bring down two year waits down to 8,000 by Spring 2025 - these figures show 15,500 pathways still on waiting lists, near enough double the amount they said they’d bring them down to by now. And let’s not forget that the original target set in the planned care recovery plan was to eliminate these waits entirely by March 2023.

 

“With goal posts constantly being moved when targets are missed, and after years of throwing more and more money at ever-lengthening waiting lists, it’s clear Labour have no plan and no credible hope of bringing down waiting lists as fast as they promised. People are seeing their families suffer in pain, and often the indignities associated with those health issues. People’s mental health is suffering as a consequence, and unbearable pressure is being put on the hardworking workforce. It’s no wonder that the people of Wales are rightly losing trust in Labour’s ability to get our NHS back on a sustainable footing.

 

"A Plaid Cymru government will take immediate action on day one to get to grips with waiting lists, to get people seen and treated, and take bold longer-term measures to change how the NHS is run for the better. Only Plaid Cymru has the vision and plans to give our NHS the fresh start it needs."

 

- DIWEDD / ENDS -

NO DETAIL ON PLAN TO REDUCE WAITING LISTS

In their conference in Llandudno yesterday, Labour in Wales announced additional funding to tackle high NHS waiting lists, but there was no detail on Labour’s plan to bring down waiting lists. 

In response to this announcement, Plaid Cymru’s spokesman on Health & Social Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, said:

 

“Announcements that are heavy on rhetoric but light on detail are becoming commonplace within Labour party conferences. While bringing down waiting lists should be a priority for any government, the absence of a plan on how to achieve this from the Labour party in Wales – beyond throwing more money at the problem – means many people in Wales will remain waiting far too long for NHS treatment.

 

“We need to know exactly how the Labour Government in Wales intends to bring down waiting lists, but the increase in patient pathways in Wales for 7 consecutive months suggests they don’t know themselves. Labour have had 25 years to deliver a health service fit to serve the people of Wales, and they’ve failed to do so. It’s time for a fresh start and a fresh vision for the Welsh NHS under Plaid Cymru’s leadership.”

 

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A DAMNING RECORD ON HEALTH

Latest statistics on the performance of NHS Wales a ‘damning record for the new First Minister’ – Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Health and Social Care says that ‘a radical rethink in approach’ is needed to get to grips with problems facing the Welsh NHS.

 

Statistics released today by the Welsh Government on the activity and the performance of the Welsh NHS between June and July 2024 have shown a further increase in waiting times across Wales for treatment, taking figures to a new high.

 

The latest statistics reveal that at least 615,300 patients currently find themselves on a waiting list in Wales, approximately just under 20% of the total population.

 

Also included in the results are clear increases in the number of patients waiting over eight weeks for diagnostic services, patients waiting for therapy services and those starting cancer treatment.

 

These latest performance statistics account for the new First Minister, Eluned Morgan’s final few months in post as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care before taking on the highest office. Mark Drakeford, former First Minister and Health Minister between 2013-2016 has recently been re-appointed on an interim basis. During his time as Health Minister, there was an 11% increase in the number of patients on NHS waiting lists in Wales.

 

In response to the latest set of results, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Health and Social Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, said:

 

“There is a disappointing inevitability of failing to get to grips with NHS waiting times month after month, and this set of results published today is no different, with waiting times at their highest ever.

 

"While Labour in Wales has been too focused on internal fighting, the new First Minister has left a legacy of at least 615,300 individual patients on treatment waiting lists. She promised to eliminate waiting lists but failed.  A damning record for the new First Minister of Wales.

 

“A radical rethink in approach is needed. Plaid Cymru has been consistent in our calls - we need a clear strategy from Welsh Government that starts with admitting there is a problem in the first place. Welsh Government must commission an independent investigation into the performance of the NHS in Wales, and commit to making targets mean something. That includes a more targeted approach to tackle waiting times by prioritising those most in need, to better fund preventative health measures, and to invest in the workforce by providing them with the working conditions and contracts they deserve.”

 

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ITS TIME TO GO

Vaughan Gething’s delusional defiance in refusing to accept the democratic vote of no confidence in the Senedd demonstrates the ‘same old’ attitude which has blighted his time in government – Plaid Cymru’s Mabon ap Gwynfor has said.

 

The First Minister is “not only running away from the will of the Senedd but also failing to answer questions which have dogged him through the donations scandal” – Mr ap Gwynfor added.

 

After a motion of no confidence passed in the Senedd on Wednesday – Mr ap Gwynfor said:

 

“The First Minister’s aversion to scrutiny is well known but it takes hubris to another level to ignore the wishes of the Senedd. This is the same old attitude which has so far blighted Vaughan Gething’s time in government – a failure to not only to own up to failings as a Minister but also a demonstrable legacy of avoiding questions.

 

“The First Minister is failing to accept the clear will of the Senedd, he is continuing to fail to answer the questions which have dogged him through the donations scandal, and his response to yesterday's vote of no confidence has raised even more questions that now demand answers.

 

“Rather than burying his head in the sand the First Minister must clarify:

 

“Does he have the full confidence of Labour’s Senedd group?

 

“Can he confirm that there are no further revelations to come regarding his donations from Dauson?

 

“He has accused members of the opposition parties of telling lies in the Vote Of No Confidence debate. What evidence does he have for this?

 

“Does he believe that dismissing a vote in the Senedd as a ‘desperate gimmick’ is respectful towards Welsh devolution?

 

“Did he sign off on hypocritical Labour social media adverts criticising all opposition parties for voting together while the Tories and Labour voted together on a vote of no confidence in Scotland’s First Minister?

 

“Who conducted the investigation which led to Hannah Blythyn’s sacking and when will the report be published?

 

“But above all, why won’t the First Minister resign when a majority of the democratically elected representatives of the people of Wales voted for him to do so?”

 

ENDS

 

FAIRER, GREENER, AMBITIOUS, AND MORE PROSPEROUS

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MP has announced his team in the Senedd which will build "a fairer, greener, ambitious and more prosperous Wales". Mr ap Iowerth said that the party's focus in the Senedd would be "firm" on key issues including the health service, housing and living costs.

The Plaid Cymru Leader added that the group would continue to work together with the government through the Collaboration Agreement to fulfill promises to change people's lives for the better such as free school meals and reform of the Senedd, while also holding Labor to account. there are “flaws”.

Delyth Jewell has been appointed Deputy of the Senedd and will deputize for parliamentary matters including Prime Minister's Questions in the Leader's absence. Llyr Gruffydd resumes his role as Chairman of the Senedd Group while Heledd Fychan takes on the role of Business Manager. Mabon ap Gwynfor will take on the role of Chief Whip as well as responsibility for the core Health and Care portfolio.

In announcing the Senedd team, Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MP said,

"I am proud to lead a united, talented and committed team in the Senedd that will build a fairer, greener, ambitious and more prosperous Wales.

"Our focus will be firm and clear as we tackle the issues of the day: the health service, housing, and the economy - focusing on the cost of living crisis and ensuring sustainable public services.

"We will work diligently to achieve for our communities and make a difference to people's lives, working together with the government where there is common ground but at the same time holding them to account where there is a lack of urgency and provision.

"Together, we will continue to argue that Wales' best interests are served by making our own decisions as a nation. By talking to those who are confident about independence as well as those whose interest has not yet been sparked, we will continue to build the case for independence and a brighter future for all.