NHS leaders committed to working with new Welsh Government to deliver improvements
21 May 2026
The Welsh NHS Confederation responds to the latest NHS Wales activity and performance statistics - the first with a new Welsh Government.
Delivery and performance
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In March, there were just under 666,700 referral to treatment (RTT) patient pathways waiting to start treatment, a decrease of around 21,300 since February. This is the lowest since August 2021 and the tenth month in a row where the figure has fallen.
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The proportion of pathways waiting less than 26 weeks increased to 65.9% in March, the highest figure since May 2020.
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The number of pathways waiting longer than 36 weeks decreased to just over 166,800 in March, the lowest figure since August 2020.
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The average time patients had been waiting for treatment at the end of March was 1.2 weeks shorter than the previous month at 15.5 weeks, the lowest figure since April 2020.
Responding to the latest NHS Wales activity and performance statistics, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, Darren Hughes, said:
“While it’s not a perfect picture across the board with high demand on urgent and emergency care, scheduled care waits continue to go in the right direction. Now is the time to build on this progress and make further inroads into the backlog of care that has built up in recent years.
“It’s crucial that any Welsh Government review or plan for waiting times takes a whole-system approach, including primary, community and social care, as well as recognising the role of the wider determinants of health in preventing demand in the first place.
“NHS leaders are keen to proactively provide the new government with the information needed and look forward to engaging with taskforce groups as part of the first 100 days plan.
“Any plans must be considered against the tighteningfinancial context facing NHS organisations, especially given renewed inflationary pressures due to global events. NHS leaders will need clarity from political leaders on a focused set of priorities and the backing to make the difficult decisions required to reform services, being honest with the public around timelines and expectations.
“As we face a reset with a new Welsh Government, we must also recognise the impact that political noise and blame has on staff morale – the very people working tirelessly to drive these improvements. The NHS has too often been used as a political football and it’s now time to come together and focus on delivering the changes Wales needs.”