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 - 

THE ABSENTEE LANDLORD

The news about the developers being chosen to develop off shore wind energy fields of our coast is actually some good news. That said, once again Wales will receive little or no benefit from the economic exploitation of its own natural resources, except this time the waters are off-shore rather than inland or underground. Why should the fees go to the Crown and the UK Treasury? And not to Wales? 

The Welsh Government should (but won’t) insist that decisions about the use of Wales’ natural resources should be made in Wales for the benefit of Wales. Even without devolved powers they should been able to set up a Welsh national energy company immediately to develop our own Welsh-owned sector and have  at least explored the  possibilities of setting up an embryonic sovereign wealth fund for receipts, rents received, etc.

The two companies - BP and EnBW ( described by the BBC as a German energy firm)  have been chosen as the preferred developers for a major new wind farm off the north Wales coast. Both companies are effectively the preferred developers for a 500 square kilometre lease, situated approximately 30 kilometre off the north Wales coast, and another 300 square kilometre site east of the Isle of Man. These off shore  wind farms have the potential to generate enough power for 3.4 million homes. 

Now what is worth noting in passing is that EnBW is over 90% owned by the regional government and local authorities of Baden-Wurttemberg - not they you will find any reference to that on the BBC. It is doubly ironic that the Scandinavian State-owned Vattenfall and Statkraft and largely State-owned EDF mean that citizens of other countries will own more of Wales' renewable sector than we do ourselves (and also benefit from it).

The Welsh Government has understandably stated that it is looking forward to working with the two companies. The devil, as they say, lies in the detail or perhaps in the case the literal small print, once you get beyond the spin. Understandably the Westminster government, has called this development a "major vote of confidence in the UK's green economy and net zero ambitions”. 

Now that’s all very well and good. However, it gets more interesting the further you delve, it turns out that it is the Crown Estate, not the Welsh government, which manages the seabed around Wales, as it does with the seabed of England and Northern Ireland, has also announced six proposed new offshore wind projects.

The auction of seabed rights - which was the first of its kind in a decade - apparently attracted frenzied bidding. Both the projects will now move onto the next stage in the lengthy process for acquiring rights to build out at sea - which involves assessing the potential impacts on habitats and wildlife.

The Crown Estate expects this to conclude in Spring 2022 and subject to the outcome the developers could then be granted an agreement for lease and be able to start getting their projects through the planning process - including consulting with local communities. With luck and hard work the projects could begin to generate electricity by the end of the decade.

Beyond being either a willing or a reluctant minor partner the Welsh Government has little choice in the matter but to co-operate. Of course once our nation achieves independence, then there will be no question, of course, of the Crown Estate auctioning off development rights with no direct benefit then to the people of Wales. This deal clearly  demonstrates that Wales' marine energy potential is of international significance.

The Crown Estates, plays the role of barely mentioned absentee landlord, in Cymru / Wales. As far back as March 2012  a report produced by the then Scottish Affairs Committee (in Westminster) stated that the Crown Estates management of the marine environment around Scotland lacked transparency and public consultation. 

The Crown Estate's owns portions of our coast, almost all the seabed, and some of the land beneath our feet - little appears to have changed in relation to the lack of transparency and the lack of public consultation . It owns around 65 per cent of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed, and inland, and also owns around 27,800 hectares (68,700 acres) of Welsh common land, owns the rights to the sites of fish farms, renewable energy developments, ports and marinas.  

The Westminster government (post BREXIT) if it believes in ‘local control’ should commit to having the Crown Estate's seabed and marine responsibilities and all rights related to Wales devolved to the Welsh government. Those who have dealt with the Crown Estates on a regular basis are often highly critical of the Crown Estate - back in 2012 the then Scottish Affairs Committee (in Westminster) heard that the organisation effectively behaved like an "absentee landlord" and "tax collector".

The revenues do not belong to the monarch and surplus revenue from its businesses are paid each year to the Treasury. The Crown Estates revenues in Cymru / Wales are not vast at the moment, but, the assets have what could best be described as game changing potential. That's why control of these marine and and coastal assets particularly in the case of renewables and off shore wind generated hydrogen could our nation to opportunity to reboot our economy and make a significant contribution to fighting global climate change.

Our energy and water resources including the responsibility for sewerage for the whole territory of Wales should be the responsibility of the Welsh Government. The Crown Estate still remains largely unaccountable to the people of Wales and all profits from its holdings (which includes on and off shore wind farms) are passed to the UK Westminster Government. Profits from these holdings are likely to grow significantly mostly due to the growing demand for renewable energy. 

For way too long our natural resources have been run for the benefit of others with few real or lasting benefits trickling down to the people of Wales. Ownership and control over the Crown Estates in Wales should be transferred to the Welsh Government. The final say on how our natural resources are exploited and developed should be the direct responsibility of the Welsh people (and the Welsh Government) with 85% of the profits or dividends directly benefit the people who live here rather than opaque absentee landlords. 

AN AMBITIOUS APPROACH

An “ambitious approach” will be required for post-Covid recovery, Plaid Cymru has warned.

A report from the Bevan Foundation has exposed the effects the pandemic has had on Welsh households’ finances. The report suggests that almost a quarter of Welsh households have seen a fall in their income, whilst more than forty percent have seen an increase in heating and water bills.

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for the Economy, Helen Mary Jones MS said the Welsh Government must “urgently intervene” and said “bigger steps” would be needed to mitigate the long term financial impact of Covid.

Ms Jones drew attention to Plaid Cymru’s ambitious Covid recovery plan which includes the creation of nearly 60,000 new jobs, describing the need for big ideas to “eradicate the vast inequalities in Wales”.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for the Economy, Helen Mary Jones MS said,

“This is a stark reminder that we cannot and will not just go back to how things were. The future for people in this country’s poorest communities has to change.

“Household finances across Wales have been hit hard by the pandemic, and the end of the furlough scheme will add to current pressures. With a drop of household incomes and a rise in the costs of living, the Welsh Government must urgently intervene in offering short and medium-term support for those struggling, taking bigger steps to mitigate the financial impact of Covid for the longer term.

“A government in Wales has to be ambitious in moving forward - in recovering from the pandemic and addressing the needs of the most in need. Plaid Cymru have ambitions to extend free school meals to all children and have a plan for an economic recovery from the pandemic which would create almost 60,000 new jobs.

“We have reached a point in which big ideas and rapid action is needed in order to eradicate the vast inequalities in Wales, many of which are apparent in the Bevan Foundation’s report.”

END

SHIELDING GUIDANCE CHANGES

Delyth Jewell MS questions change in policy despite “R” number remaining the same

Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell has raised concerns at the new guidance for those shielding from Coronavirus.

The Welsh Government confirmed today that those who had been shielding from Coronavirus could now exercise outdoors from Monday, following similar advice being issued to vulnerable people in England.

However Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell questioned why the guidance was changing for the group of "extremely vulnerable people" whilst the R rate had not changed.

The First Minister confirmed on Friday that the rate of transmission was still 0.8.

Ms Jewell questioned what advice the Welsh Government had received to change its policy and whether the new guidance would protect the most vulnerable people.

The Shadow Local Government Minister also raised concerns about the way the change was communicated to the press first before letters were sent to the shielding group.

Ms Jewell said letters should have been sent "weeks ago" and that telling the press first and people second was "wrong".

Those who are shielding will receive a letter from Wales' Chief Medical Officer over the next two weeks setting out the "next steps".

Plaid Cymru MS and Shadow Minister for Local Government Delyth Jewell said,

"The last few months have been incredibly challenging for those who have had to shield. They have had to go months without leaving the house and months without seeing loved ones. The huge sacrifices they have made must be recognised.

"However, questions must be asked on why the advice is changing for this extremely vulnerable group of people whilst the virus is still at the same rate of transmission as it was a few weeks ago. The First Minister himself confirmed on Friday that the R rate was still at 0.8 - which is dangerously close to 1.  What advice have the Welsh Government received to make them change this policy? Can they guarantee the new guidance will protect this vulnerable group of people?

"And why was this change in policy communicated to the press before the very people it will effect?

"Letters should have been sent to keep shielding people updated weeks ago, so that they could prepare for any changes. This will affect their lives hugely. Telling the press first and people second was both wrong and disappointing. No one should have found out about this change through reading confused reports in the press.

“Without a robust test and trace system in place we cannot possibly know where the virus is spreading in our communities. Loosening the lockdown without such a system in place risks a second wave. Getting track and trace right must continue to be the Welsh Government’s top priority going forward before we can even think about easing restrictions further.

ENDS

A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS has called the Welsh Government’s U-turn on lockdown a “victory for common sense”.

Following pressure from police chiefs and Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Government has tonight confirmed it will be raising the maximum fines for those breaking lockdown from £120 to £1920.

However minimum fines will remain at £60.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said the victory belonged to the “perseverance” of Welsh police forces who were doing “heroic work” in protecting communities during the crisis.  

However, the Plaid Leader said it was “bitterly regrettable” that the First Minister had not raised the minimum fines to match England as had been requested by police chiefs in their letter to the First Minister last Friday.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS said,

“After weeks of pressure from Wales’ police chiefs and Plaid Cymru, the Labour Welsh Government have finally seen sense and raised the maximum fines for those breaking lockdown rules in Wales from £120 to £1,920.

“This latest U-turn from the government is a victory for common sense and to the perseverance of our police forces who are doing heroic work in protecting our communities during this crisis.  

“However, the decision not to raise the minimum fines in parity with England as requested by the All Wales Policing Group remains bitterly regrettable.

ENDS

QUESTIONS FOR WELSH GOVERNMENT

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has called on the Welsh Government to reveal how much PPE it had in its stockpile prior to the Coronavirus crisis after an investigation by BBC Panorama revealed that the Westminster government failed to buy crucial protective equipment to cope with a pandemic.

According to the investigation, “vital items” including gowns, visors, swabs and body bags were left out of the stockpile when it was set up in 2009 – with “millions” of FFP3 respirator masks also “unaccounted for”.

The investigation also reported that the Westminster Government ignored warnings from its own advisers about the lack of equipment.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said “the negligence” of the Westminster government had been “laid bare” and strongly criticised them for “utterly failing” to prepare for a pandemic.

However the Plaid Cymru Leader said that the Welsh Government should now reveal how much PPE they had in their pandemic stockpile prior the Coronavirus crisis and whether they were prepared or not.

Mr Price also pressed the Welsh Government to confirm whether they had enough PPE to meet the demand and to “protect” health and care staff.

The Plaid Cymru Leader said the priority should be ensuring that frontline workers were kept safe by having access to the “correct protective equipment” they need. Mr Price said not to do so would be a “dereliction of duty of the worst kind”.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said,

“The negligence of the Westminster government has been laid bare for all to see. They failed to prepare properly for an inevitable pandemic and this failure has put the lives of front line health and care workers needlessly at risk.

“Morriston hospital in Swansea was included in the BBC’s Panorama investigation as one of the hospitals who suffered due to a lack of PPE. In light of these revelations, the Welsh Government must urgently tell us how much PPE they had in their pandemic stockpile prior to the Coronavirus crisis. Were they at all prepared for the pandemic?

“And do they have enough PPE now to meet the demand and to protect our health and care staff?

“The priority must be ensuring our front line workers are kept safe by having access to enough of the correct protective equipment they need. Not to do so would be a dereliction of duty of the worst kind.

ENDS

TEST! TEST! TEST!

5,000 tests a day by mid-April. That was the Welsh Government’s promise.

Tomorrow, we will reach the middle of the month with nobody expecting the government to achieve that aim. It is an absolute scandal that they have failed so spectacularly to increase testing to the levels we need.

Over the last few days, instead of approaching 5,000 tests per day, Wales has seen fewer than 1,000 daily tests.

Yesterday, without any logical explanation from the government, the new testing centre in Cardiff was closed for the bank holiday. Today, Vaughan Gething, the Health Minister seemed to blame Wales’ lack of testing on Local Authorities.

Two major problems with the Welsh Government’s response are abundantly clear:

1 Following the collapsed deal between the government and Roche, they have failed to increase capacity to the level needed

2 The government has totally failed to ensure that the tests they already have are being used – with an unbelievable amount of key workers having to go without tests despite those tests being available.

The WHO’s message is clear: Test. Test. Test.

Sadly, the Welsh Government’s response has been to Fail. Fail. Fail.

Plaid Cymru is continuing to challenge the government for the answers to why we are so far behind countries across Europe when it comes to testing.

You can read our latest work on our website.

A TIME FOR TRUTH

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has called on the Welsh Government to be “honest” about why the agreement between themselves and an unnamed private supplier to provide an extra 5,000 Covid-19 tests a day had collapsed.

The Welsh Government said it was "disappointing" that the company had not been able to honour a “written agreement”.

The Plaid Cymru Leader said it “beggared belief” that the Welsh Government was refusing to say why the deal collapsed or who the company was.

Mr Price said it was in the “public interest” for the Welsh Government to be honest with the public and to “provide urgent answers” on what happened and why.

Some sources have suggested the UK Government was part of the reason the deal collapsed.

Mr Price said that Wales would now look at only 1,100 Covid-19 tests being done daily as opposed to the 6,000 tests that would have been conducted per day had the deal gone through.

The Plaid Cymru Leader said Wales would be “even further behind” on testing with “precious time” lost and “countless lives” at “greater risk”.

He said the Welsh Government shouldn’t be “disappointed – they should be furious”.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said,

“Having blamed a company for failing to deliver on a vital agreement to provide an extra five thousand Covid-19 tests, it beggars belief that the Welsh Government is refusing to say why the deal collapsed and who the company was – especially if the actions of the UK Government scuppered the deal as some sources have suggested.

“It is in the public interest for the Welsh Government to be honest with the public and to provide urgent answers about what happened -- and why.

“We were assured by Vaughan Gething that by tomorrow [April 1st] six thousand tests would be done per day. Now, because the deal fell through, we’re looking at only 1,100 tests being done a day. Wales will be even further behind on vital testing than we already were. Precious time has been lost and countless lives may now be at greater risk.

“Testing is one of the best weapons we have to defeat this pandemic by tracking and tracking the spread of the virus, and ensuring frontline health and care workers are protected and can go back to work.

“The Welsh Government shouldn’t be “disappointed”, they should be furious.

ENDS

LABOUR’S SCANDALOUS INACTION

Delyth Jewell Slams Welsh Government for ‘Scandalous Inaction’ Over Perinatal Unit

Unit was promised as part of Plaid Cymru budget deal but Labour set to renege on promise

Plaid Cymru’s Delyth Jewell AM has criticised the Labour Welsh Government for failing to open a specialist perinatal unit in Wales, despite promising to do so as part of a budget deal.

The specialist unit was due to be opened in Swansea in 2021, but last month the BBC reported that an interim unit on a psychiatric ward would be opened in Neath instead, going against the recommendation of mental health experts.

Speaking in a Plaid Cymru debate on mental health in the Senedd, Delyth Jewell said:

“I believe that the first person to call for a specialist unit to be developed was my predecessor Steffan Lewis and he was successful in playing a part in achieving a commitment from the Welsh Government to develop a permanent unit by 2021 as part of the 2018-19 budget deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru.

“Now we know that it doesn’t look like this is going to happen, with Labour set to break a budget deal promise by opening an interim unit within a psychological hospital instead.

“This is not what was agreed and is not what’s needed. Breaking a budget deal commitment is a very serious matter indeed, not only in terms of political trust, but more importantly in this instance, it means that new mothers will continue to be denied the treatment that they need.”

She went on to praise BBC Cymru Wales for a series of “excellent” journalistic stories about women who faced terrible tribulations as a result of having to go to England to access treatment, or receive treatment in inappropriate settings in Wales.

She read out the experiences of some of these women as reported by the BBC [contained in attached document].

South Wales East AM Delyth Jewell closed her passionate speech with the following words:

“According to the Welsh Health Specialist Services Committee, women now face a choice, ‘between receiving inpatient care more locally but being separated from their infant, or remaining with their infant in a specialist unit but needing to travel away from their support networks’.

“They add that in many cases women choose to access local acute psychiatric services that are ‘not fit for purpose and lack specialist knowledge’. This is a choice no one would have to face, especially new mothers in a crisis situation.

“So the message to the Welsh Government is this. These women need this specialist perinatal unit. The experts agree. You promised to provide it. So get on with it before any more new mothers have to suffer because of your scandalous inaction.”

In her response the Deputy Minister for Health simply pointed to the interim unit that’s set to be opened in a psychiatric ward, which falls very short of what the Welsh Government agreed to provide (see budget deal document below)

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Full copy of the speech attached [600 words]

Link to Official Budget Agreement 2018-19 and 2019-20 Agreement between Plaid Cymru and Labour that includes, “The Welsh NHS will develop specialist inpatient perinatal mental health support for new mothers and their babies in Wales”: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/inline-documents/2019-05/budget-agreement-2018-to-2019-and-2019-to-2020.pdf