A series of Freedom of Information requests by the Welsh Conservatives revealed that since the May 2021 Senedd election, where Labour formed yet another Welsh Government with the support of Plaid Cymru, 38,374 patients have died while waiting for NHS treatment.
The Labour Health Minister, now First Minister, Eluned Morgan promised to eliminate two-year waits for treatment for the last two years (by March 2023 and again by March 2024), but failed to meet these targets and still has not. In England, these long waits have been virtually eliminated.
In addition to this, since the 2021 Senedd election and the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru, patient pathways in Wales have increased by almost a third.
In the Senedd today, Labour, Plaid Cymru and the sole Lib Dem all failed to vote in favour of a Welsh Conservative motion calling on the Welsh Government to adopt our plan to fix the Welsh NHS, prevent more needless deaths, and reduce waiting lists.
Our plans include declaring a Health Emergency, guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment, and introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee.
Commenting after the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, James Evans MS, said:
“I am very disappointed in Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems for uniting together in failing to vote for our credible plan to fix the Welsh NHS.
“Instead of backing our solutions to the health crisis faced by Wales, Labour, Plaid and the Lib Dems prefer to prioritise 20mph speed limits and creating more politicians, instead of more doctors and nurses for our hospitals.
“Unlike Reform, the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix our Welsh NHS and reduce NHS waiting lists, guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment, and introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee.”
The motion which was debated today read:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Reaffirms that the Welsh NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery, publicly funded, and not replaced by an insurance-based system.
2. Regrets that, since the 2021 Senedd election and the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru:
a) over 38,000 Welsh people have died while waiting for NHS treatment; and
b) total patient pathways have increased by around a third.
3. Calls on the Welsh Government to prevent more needless deaths by:
a) declaring a health emergency to direct the resources and apparatus of the Welsh Government at cutting NHS waiting lists;
b) guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment;
c) introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee;
d) carrying out a comprehensive Welsh NHS recruitment and retention plan;
e) building more surgical hubs and expanding rapid diagnostic centres;
f) restoring patient choice in where they can access healthcare; and
g) launching a cancer action plan.
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