Labour's mismanagement of the NHS has left 1 in 5 people in Wales on a waiting list.
People living in pain or discomfort.
But Reform don't have the answers when it comes to our NHS! Their boss, Farage, wants to move to an insurance-based system...
A Plaid Cymru government will create surgical hubs across Wales to get people treated faster and cut waiting lists, easing the pressure on the health service.
Vote Plaid Cymru on Thursday 7th May 2026 to renew our NHS.
Plaid Cymru will today publish its plan for the first 100 days of government should it win the Senedd election on 7th May.
The plan will be launched by Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth today (09.30am Saturday February 28 2026) during a special press conference at Plaid Cymru’s spring conference at the ICC in Newport.
Current polling indicates the battle for the Senedd is between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK with Labour likely to fall to at least third place.
The plan outlines actions a Plaid Cymru government would take in its first 100 days on all major departments including the NHS, economy, education, rural affairs, the environment, housing, and fairness for Wales from the UK Government.
It also lays down a marker in terms of how a Plaid Cymru administration would differ from any which has gone before it.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said people had lost faith in government and Plaid Cymru wanted to ‘restore that faith’.
He said his party was ‘determined’ to make government work better, istening to people, and uniting public services as One Welsh Public Service, ‘guided by clear values, transparency, and putting people at the heart of everything we do’.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said the last twenty-seven years of Labour rule had left Wales ‘wanting’ with the NHS ‘overwhelmed’, educational standards ‘among the worst in Europe’, and an economy ‘still too tied to Westminster to have any real firepower’.
The Plaid Cymru leader said Plaid Cymru was the only party with a ‘detailed plan of action’ that represents the ‘genuine new leadership the people of Wales deserve’ and hoped it would ‘inspire’ voters to put their faith in the party to lead the next Welsh government.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS added that a Plaid Cymru government under his leadership would be serious about tackling child poverty, bringing NHS waiting lists down, driving up educational attainment and make Wales a better place to do business.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said,
“In May, Wales faces the most significant election in its history.
“Nearly twenty-seven years of Labour led rule has left our nation wanting. An NHS overwhelmed by demand, educational standards among the worst in Europe, and an economy still too tied to Westminster to have any real firepower.
“Others may promise change but as this plan proves, Plaid Cymru is the only party with a detailed plan of action, representing the genuine new leadership the people of Wales deserve.
“We take nothing for granted, but the challenges facing our communities are so many in number and complex in nature that it would be irresponsible not to set out how a Plaid Cymru government would plan to start addressing them.
“Underpinning our programme is a conviction that our government must be a better government. People in Wales have increasingly lost faith in governments – they are seen as distant, not reflecting their priorities, telling not listening, talking not doing. We set out our new approach as a government – to bring our public services together as One Welsh Public Service and establish core values that will drive our all work.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwertth MS added,
“As First Minister, my promise to the people of Wales is simple – to lead a team that works hard every day to make your life better. A government that is serious about tackling the national scandal of child poverty, relentless in its focus on bringing down waiting lists, committed to driving up educational attainment and passionate about making Wales a better place to do business, providing high-skilled, well-paid jobs.
“Nearly thirty years since the citizens of Wales said ‘Yes’ to a parliament of their own, my hope is that Plaid Cymru’s vision, and our roadmap for putting it into action – of which this First 100 Days plan is a key element – will inspire the voters of today to put their faith in us to lead the next Welsh government.
“Westminster has ignored Wales’s voice for too long. With Plaid Cymru at the helm, the UK Prime Minister will be left in no doubt what a strong, effective and compassionate government looks like as the old order is replaced with new leadership, new energy and new ideas.
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Plaid Cymru ON Wednesday 6th August 2025 criticised the First Minister’s ‘record of failure’ as she marks one year since becoming First Minister of Wales.
Despite making bringing down NHS waiting lists her government’s priority and previously introduced a target to eliminate two year treatment waits by March 2023, both referral to treatment patient pathways and two year waits have increased consecutively in the last two months.
Child poverty is also expected to increase to 34.4% by 2029 – the highest level in the UK.
Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan said the First Minister has not only failed to improve public services, but has been stubborn to new ideas to tackle the challenges facing Wales and has failed to stand up to the UK Labour government over policies which disproportionately impact Wales.
Ms Fychan said that today’s anniversary makes it clear that “only Plaid Cymru can deliver the new leadership Wales needs.”
Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd, Heledd Fychan MS said:
“Eluned Morgan’s first year as First Minister is encapsulated by a record of failure: from missing her own target to eliminate two year NHS treatment waits, to faltering educational outcomes and rising levels of poverty in our communities. This is not how things should be.
“And yet, the First Minister has been stubborn to new ideas – such as Plaid Cymru’s calls to introduce a child payment proven instrumental in tackling child poverty levels in Scotland. It’s clear that this Labour government is out of ideas, out of time and Wales will only see change when Labour’s First Minister is out of office.
“Not only has she failed to deliver better public services, but she has failed to stand up to Starmer every time: on HS2, disability benefit cuts, winter fuel payments, the Crown Estate – I could go on.
“Today’s anniversary makes it clear that Wales needs a new government with fresh ideas and ambition to put Wales first, always. That’s what a Plaid Cymru government offers under Rhun ap Iorwerth's leadership – to fix the NHS, revive the economy, give our children the best start in life, and demand fairness from Westminster. Only Plaid Cymru can deliver the new leadership Wales needs.”
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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 -
Long waiting lists for the NHS in Wales have become a big problem, with over 600,000 people waiting for treatment. Many have to wait more than a year, and things are only getting worse. Plaid Cymru has a five-point plan to help fix this issue and make sure people get the care they need.
1. Local Treatment Centres (to get people on waiting lists treated faster)
Emergency care often takes resources away from planned treatments, causing long waits. Plaid Cymru would set up temporary treatment centre in existing hospitals, each focused on a specific type of care. By reorganising staff and using underused hospital spaces, we could reduce waiting lists by up to 30% without needing new buildings or extra staff.
2. Speed Up Referrals
The referral process in Wales' NHS is slow and inefficient, partly due to a shortage of GPs. Plaid Cymru plans to address this by creating a special team to speed up referrals and quickly match patients with the right doctors. This would remove unnecessary cases from waiting lists, and support doctors with weekend approvals to free up space. This could clear up to 60% of backlogs in some areas, like dermatology.
3. Make Health Boards Work Together
We’ll make sure hospitals share resources and work as a team so patients can be treated faster, no matter where they live. Wales' health boards aren't working together as well as they should, leading to poor coordination and wasted resources. Plaid Cymru would introduce emergency laws to make health boards work together better and share resources more effectively.
4. Better Waiting List Planning
Plaid Cymru plans to improve how waiting lists are managed by setting staffing levels before treatments are planned, based on successful models like those in Aneurin Bevan. We’ll create national guidelines for managing waiting lists and use a team-based approach for patient assessments, such as whole-body check-ups by GPs to spot conditions early.
5. Use Technology to Help Patients
Plaid Cymru plans to use technology to improve care for patients on waiting lists. Many don’t need surgery but need better support to manage their conditions. We’ll use digital tools to help patients track and manage their care, and allow doctors to monitor them remotely. The Executive Triage Service will help sort through waiting lists and make sure resources are used efficiently, providing faster care and reducing unnecessary delays. This will create a support layer between GPs and specialists, filling a gap in current care.
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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Responding to the resignation of Vaughan Gething as First Minister and Welsh Labour Leader, Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said:
“The people of Wales have lost faith in the First Minister, belatedly he has done that right thing and resigned.
“But the people of Wales are losing confidence in Labour’s ability to govern Wales.
“This could be the third Labour First Minister in seven months – a revolving door of chaos.
“Labour has put party interests ahead of the interests of the nation for too long.
“The people of Wales must be given the opportunity to elect a new government and an election must be called.
“Plaid Cymru stands ready to serve with a platform which puts fairness and ambition at its heart.
“Voters the length and breadth of Wales deserve a government which is unrelenting in addressing the issues that matter most to them – from record high NHS waiting lists and the scourge of child poverty, to below average educational outcomes and building an economy that works for all.
“After 25 years at the helm, Labour is unable to rebuild and refresh from within".
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