Surgeons: Surgical hubs are key to ending long waits for Welsh patients
23 Oct 2025
New figures from NHS Wales for August 2025 show that there has been a rise in two-year waits for consultant-led hospital treatment in Wales, while the overall waiting list has fallen slightly.
The total number of patient pathways waiting longer than two years stands at 8,703, an increase from 8,005 in July 2025. The number of patient pathways waiting longer than a year in August 2025 was 156,188, just slightly higher than the previous month.
Overall, the number of patient pathways waiting for treatment went down, with 790,576 compared to 793,058 in July 2025.
Earlier this week, the Welsh Government announced a series of public meetings with NHS organisations across Wales, designed to increase transparency and improve public confidence in the health service. Meetings will include how organisations are performing against waiting times targets.
Responding to the figures, Professor Jon Barry, Director in Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:
“The Welsh Government’s move to hold public accountability meetings, alongside the monthly performance data already published, is a welcome step to further transparency.
“Long waiting lists are having a profound impact on patients’ health, wellbeing and trust in the system.
“To reduce waiting times, the Welsh Government must commit to a long-term strategy focused on building capacity and resilience, centred on surgical hubs and clear timescales for their development.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. NHS Activity and Performance Summary: August and September 2025: https://www.gov.wales/nhs-activity-and-performance-summary-august-and-september-2025-html
2. NHS waiting lists: referral to treatment pathways waiting to start treatment, August 2024 onwards: https://stats.gov.wales/en-GB/6bd7d5c9-844e-4e7c-85ba-7256e39f7214?page_size=100&dataViewsChoice=filter
3. The ‘patient pathway’ data released by Stats Wales covers the period of time from referral by a GP or other medical practitioner to hospital for treatment in the NHS in Wales. The data includes time spent waiting for any hospital appointments, tests, surgery, scans, or other procedures.
4. The Health Secretary Jeremy Miles has announced a new series of public meetings with NHS organisations across Wales: https://www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/articles/cabinet-secretary-launches-public-nhs-accountability-meetings
5. NHS Wales waiting time targets:
a. No patients waiting longer than two years in most specialities by March 2023, and no patients waiting longer than one year in most specialities by Spring 2025 (new targets established in the planned care recovery plan).
b. 95% of patients waiting less than 26 weeks from referral.
c. No patients waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment from referral.
6. In April 2025, Welsh Government outlined waiting times ambitions to be met by March 2026:
a. Reduce the waiting list by 200,000
b. Eliminate two-year waiting times for planned treatment
c. Restore a maximum eight-week wait for tests
7. The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their career. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.
8. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6054/6053/6060; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.