Confirmed – NHS Waiting Times Worse in Labour-run Wales
Figures reveal the startling gap in waiting times between Wales and England, with waits here significantly longer in nearly all of the key categories for treatment and diagnosis.
Directly comparable figures show that the biggest gap was in the wait for hip operations, where the average length in England was 75 days; compared to a startling 197 days in Wales.
Waits for hip operations in Wales have lengthened substantially over the last four years – by over a fifth since 2011.
Meanwhile waits for other Welsh NHS procedures – such as cataracts, hernias and some heart operations are around two months longer than in England.
Table 1.
Main procedures England Wales
Cataract 61 115
Upper digestive tract 21 33
Heart bypass 57 111
Heart operations 39 40
Hip 75 197
Kidney 20 18
Diagnosis
Cancer 21 22
Heart disease 37 47
Pneumonia 50 64
Hernia 44 114
Head Injuries 5 5
Sources: Hospital Episode statistics 2014/15. Health and Social Care Information Centre / Patient Episode Database for Wales 2014/15. NHS Wales Informatics Service.
Shadow Health Minister, Darren Millar AM, said:
“Earlier this week we learnt that the Welsh Labour Government has put its propaganda machine into overdrive by spending millions on promoting itself, when that cash would be better spent on the Welsh NHS.
“These figures clearly show that Welsh patients are getting a raw deal in the Labour run Welsh NHS.
“It is utterly disgusting that people are waiting almost twice as long in Wales to have a heart bypass operation; placing vulnerable patients at risk of serious harm, and potentially premature death.
“Meanwhile, waiting times for the treatment of cataracts, hernias and hip operations are also much longer here than over the border; impacting on them and their loved ones and ruining their quality of life.
“This is further evidence of the damaging legacy of Labour’s cuts, closures and downgrades to the Welsh NHS.”
