Additional funding for NHS Wales welcomed, but whole-system approach needed

Responding to the Welsh Government’s announcement of an extra £145 million for the NHS in Wales as part of Supplementary Budget for 2026 to 2027, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, Darren Hughes, said:

“NHS leaders in Wales welcome this additional funding for the NHS to reduce waiting times and make essential maintenance across the NHS estate. 

“We also welcome the Health and Care Minister’s focus on developing a long-term strategy to address waiting times. We agree that a long-term solution is required to build sustainable capacity and drive whole-system improvements. 

“It is essential that we take a whole-system view of health and care. This includes strengthening support for primary and community care, such as through programmes like Community by Design, to move more services closer to people’s homes. Alongside improvements in primary care, we must also prioritise the social care sector. 

“We would also welcome a broader and more balanced approach to how NHS and social care performance is measured and published. Focusing solely on waiting times does not provide a complete picture and there needs to be more comprehensive data published across the breadth of the NHS and social care services. 

“NHS leaders in Wales are ready to work proactively with the new Welsh Government to drive improvement across the whole health and care system.”