9 hours ago
Welsh Government unveils new funding to target waiting lists
The funding boost from the Welsh government will help tackle long waiting lists and reduce waiting times across the Welsh NHS.
The Planned Care Recovery Plan includes ambitious targets to cut the overall waiting list by 200,000 and eliminate all two-year waits.
It also aims to restore the diagnostic wait times to less than eight weeks by March 2026.
The new funding will help provide more outpatient appointments, diagnostic tests, and treatments. This includes more than 20,000 cataract operations.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: "Tackling waiting times is our number one priority.
'We have seen long waiting times fall by two thirds over the last four months. We will build on this progress and go further.
'This additional funding will help deliver what people want – faster access to treatment.'
As well as the funding, all health boards will be required to make changes to boost productivity and efficiency to reduce variation.
These include reducing the number of follow-up appointments, which are automatically booked, and allowing people to arrange them only if they need to see a doctor.
There will have to be a minimum of seven cataract procedures per list as standard by the coming September.
They are also expected to streamline pathways, removing steps that do not add benefit value to a patient's healthcare journey.
Mr Miles said: "I am determined to work with health boards to deliver a stronger and more sustainable NHS for the people of Wales.
"These service improvements, together with the extra funding, will help to provide better access for patients to planned care."
