Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, has described NHS waiting times as being at ‘crisis point’ as new figures show even more people are now waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment.
In all, 416,498 patients were waiting for a hospital appointment across Wales at the end of July. That figure stood at just 227,000 when Carwyn Jones became First Minister in 2009.
For the first time, the number of people waiting more than 36 weeks has topped 11,000.
Yet, a Welsh Government target recommends no-one should wait longer than 36 weeks when referred to hospital by their GP.
The situation in Powys is that as a provider of treatment, the Local Health Board is meeting its 26 week target but there is now a breach of the 36 week target. However, as a commissioner of treatment for Powys patients in other hospitals in Wales and England, it is missing both its 26 and 36 week targets.
The Health Minister recently announced a review into NHS funding – and later admitted this would amount to a summer ‘interrogation’ of the budget with the Finance Minister.
Mr George has consistently called for the health budget to be protected in line with inflation – as it is elsewhere in the UK. The Welsh Conservatives represent the only party to stand for significant additional investment in the NHS – a policy that has stood since before the last Assembly election.
Commenting, Mr George said:
“The on-going problem of rapidly rising waiting times has now reached crisis point.
“The number of long waits and delays was unacceptable 12 months ago. Since then it’s done nothing but spiral out of control.
“The time for empty promises is over; the people of Powys deserves far better.
“I believe the First Minister should apologise to patients and their families – and put an urgent end to increasing waiting times.
“The record-breaking cuts driven through by this Welsh Government have pushed frontline services to the brink of collapse.
“We now have a situation where there are nearly 300 patients in Powys waiting over 36 weeks to be treated in hospitals in both Wales and England; with 68 patients waiting over 50 weeks!
“To expect hardworking NHS staff to deliver on Welsh Government targets without the necessary resources is unreasonable.
“Action is now urgently required – and proper NHS investment desperately needed.”
