**Wales Narrowly Misses Ambitious NHS Waiting Time Target Despite Notable Progress**
The Welsh Government has fallen just short of a major target aimed at reducing NHS waiting times, despite seeing significant improvements over recent months. The target, announced last autumn by First Minister Eluned Morgan, set out a clear ambition to cut the number of patients waiting more than two years for treatment to below 8,000 by this spring. Latest figures, however, show that while substantial progress has been made, the number currently stands at 8,389 – missing the benchmark by a narrow margin.
This specific two-year waiting time threshold has become a crucial measure of NHS performance in Wales, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the pandemic’s onset, there were just 279 patient pathways exceeding two years from referral to treatment. By March 2022, the backlog had ballooned to over 70,000, reflecting a troubling national trend of delayed care across the UK.
When the First Minister delivered her pledge late last year, around 24,000 patient pathways fell into the two-year-plus category. Since then, month-on-month reductions have been reported: from 21,087 in January, to 15,505 in February, and now to the lowest level seen since April 2021. These numbers highlight considerable headway and a renewed focus on shortening waits for planned care.
It is important to note that NHS waiting lists count ‘pathways’ not individual patients; one person can be on multiple waiting lists for different treatments. Nonetheless, each pathway represents an individual still awaiting important, and in some cases, life-altering care — with extended waits often leading to consequences for both physical and mental wellbeing.
Welsh Government officials credit this recent progress to a multi-pronged approach: more evening and weekend clinics, increased collaboration between regional health boards, and ongoing projects to smooth access to planned treatments. These strategies seem to be yielding results, with the overall waiting list number declining for the fourth consecutive month. There have also been fewer lengthy waits for essential diagnostics and first appointments with specialists.
Commenting on the improvements, Wales’ health minister Jeremy Miles stated: “Long waiting times are now at their lowest since April 2021, and the total waiting list has shrunk for four successive months. Fewer than 8,400 people are now waiting in excess of two years for treatment.” He went on to commend Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda university health boards, alongside Powys Health Board, all of which have eliminated year-plus waits for the most delayed outpatient or treatment appointments.
Despite these encouraging statistics, the issue of NHS performance remains deeply political. The management of health services and the reduction of waiting times featured heavily during the 2024 general election and are tipped to be a focal point in the upcoming Senedd race. Achieving or missing such targets can become ammunition for political adversaries, especially for a leader who has staked her reputation on NHS improvement.
The latest data reveal a broader pattern of improvement across the Welsh NHS. April 2025 saw the best success rate in meeting the 62-day cancer treatment aim since summer 2021, with 63.5% of patients starting treatment within that timeframe. Emergency departments also reported higher performance, and more than half of life-threatening 999 ‘red’ calls were answered within eight minutes – suggesting system-wide gains beyond the two-year wait figure.
Looking ahead, minister Miles has laid out further ambitious objectives: “Our focus will now shift to eliminating all two-year waits for treatment, slashing the total waiting list by 200,000 over the next year, and reinstating an eight-week maximum wait for diagnostic tests by March 2026. These goals demand extraordinary effort, but I am confident our NHS staff can deliver.”
In recognition of the dedication shown throughout the past year, Mr Miles extended thanks to health service employees and expressed optimism for continued improvement in patient access across Wales. As the spotlight remains firmly fixed on the NHS, both the government and the public will be watching keenly to see if the hard-won momentum can endure.