NDM8630 Welsh Conservatives Debate - NHS waiting lists

NDM8630 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the hard work and dedication of people working in the Welsh NHS.

2. Recognises the UK Government’s offer to help the Welsh Government with tackling NHS waiting lists.

3. Regrets that:

a) two-year waits for treatment have increased to 21,290 in Wales, the first time they’ve increased in two years, compared to 275 in England;

b) median waits for NHS treatment are 22 weeks in Wales, compared with 13.9 weeks in England;

c) the number of patient pathways in Wales has increased again to 775,031, the highest figure on record, while waiting lists have fallen over the last 6 months in England; and

d) 54.2 per cent of red ambulance calls don’t arrive within eight minutes.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies;

b) bring forward a substantial workforce plan with a tuition fee refund for healthcare workers that stay in Wales for five years after their studies;

c) ensure the full Barnett consequential arising from NHS spending by the UK Government is made available for the health service in Wales; and

d) work with the UK Government to understand best practice in cutting NHS waiting lists.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Notes the First Minister’s failure to achieve his own objective of bringing waiting lists down in Wales.

Regrets that in Wales:

a) two-year waits for treatment have increased to 21,290;

b) median waits for NHS treatment are 22 weeks;

c) the number of patient pathways has increased again to 775,031, the highest figure on record; and

d) 54.2 per cent of red ambulance calls don’t arrive within eight minutes.

Regrets that:

a) the spending plans of both the UK Conservative and UK Labour parties imply real-term cuts to non-ringfenced areas of the Welsh budget which will exacerbate pressures on the NHS; and

b) both the UK Conservative and UK Labour parties are opening the door for private providers to profit from the NHS.

Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies;

b) bring forward a substantial workforce plan with a tuition fee refund for healthcare workers that stay in Wales for five years after their studies;

c) defend the NHS as a fully public institution that is free at the point of need; and

d) make a formal request to the next UK Government to bring the unfair Barnett formula to an end to ensure fair funding for Wales that will enable investment in our NHS workforce and recruiting 500 GPs.

Calls on the UK Government to bring the unfair Barnett formula to an end, and fund Wales according to need, in order to properly invest in all budget areas in Wales, including health and social care.

If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected.

Amendment 2 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Recognises that:

a) long waits have fallen by 70 per cent since their peak in March 2022;

b) referral to treatment times are counted differently across the UK – in Wales they include waiting times for therapies and diagnostics; and

c) Wales spends 15 per cent more per person on health and social care than in England and in 2024-25 the Welsh Government is investing more than 4 per cent extra in the NHS compared to less than 1 per cent in England.

Welcomes ongoing Welsh Government investment and support so NHS Wales can take advantage of the latest medicines, treatments, and technologies.