NDM8785 Plaid Cymru Debate - NHS waiting times

NDM8785 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the First Minister's ambition to cut the longest waiting times and speed up access to NHS treatment.

2. Regrets:

a) that NHS waiting lists have hit record highs in each month of the First Minister's tenure thus far; and

b) the failure of the Welsh Government to deliver on the targets set out by the Planned Care Recovery Plan in April 2022 to eliminate long waits completely and speed up diagnostic testing and therapy interventions.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) establish an Elective Care Triage Service to streamline the referral process between primary and secondary care;

b) rollout specialist regional hubs for elective care across Wales; and

c) introduce legislation to place Regional Partnership Boards on a statutory footing with a clear remit to facilitate collaborative working across health boards.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Notes waits of more than 104 weeks have fallen by two-thirds since their peak during the pandemic.

Recognises the Welsh Government has invested an additional £50 million in health board plans to further reduce the longest waits in 2024-25.

Recognises Welsh Government action to address waiting lists through the development of:

a) the regional orthopaedic surgery centre in Neath Port Talbot Hospital;

b) Llandudno Hospital as an orthopaedic surgical centre for North Wales; and

c) the diagnostic and surgical centre at Llantrisant.

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

Amendment 2 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Delete point 3 and replace with:

Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) expand the number of surgical hubs and diagnostic centres;

b) increase the number of available beds in the Welsh NHS;

c) bring forward a substantial workforce recruitment and retention plan;

d) ensure the full Barnett consequential arising from NHS spending by the UK Government is made available for the Welsh NHS; and

e) provide Powys Teaching Health Board with the financial support they require to avoid their planned increase in cross-border treatment waiting times.