Surgeons call for cross-party action to tackle NHS waiting times
23 Jul 2026
Surgeons have called on all political parties to work together to reach an agreement over health service resources, as the latest NHS Wales waiting times figures underline the need for increased surgical capacity.
The number of patient pathways waiting two years or more for consultant-led hospital treatment rose from 3,694 in April to 4,208 in May.
The number of patient pathways waiting over a year in May saw a slight increase to 97,590, up from 96,409 the previous month. In total, there were 689,721 referral-to-treatment patient pathways waiting for treatment, increasing from 680,003 the previous month.
The continuing rise comes as the Welsh Government’s first supplementary budget included an additional £100m for waiting list reductions, alongside £25m in capital expenditure for surgical and diagnostic hubs. However, the supplementary budget has not yet been approved by the Senedd, so uncertainty remains over when these additional resources may become available.
Commenting on the figures, Professor Jon Barry, Director in Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:
“These latest figures are a sobering reminder of the scale of the challenge facing our health service. Staff are working tirelessly to reduce waiting lists, but lasting improvement requires certainty over resources and expanded surgical capacity.
“The need for greater capacity, including more surgical hubs, attracted support from across the political spectrum during the recent Senedd election. That reflects a shared recognition of the importance of improving access to treatment for patients across Wales.
“Behind every waiting list statistic is a patient whose life remains on hold while they wait for treatment. We urge all parties to work together to secure the resources our health service needs and help more patients get the care they have been waiting for.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The proposed Supplementary Budget for 2026/27 included an additional £145 million for NHS Wales. This comprised £100 million in resource funding to increase planned care activity and £25 million in capital funding for new surgical hubs. Further information is available here: 1st Supplementary Budget 2026-2027: explanatory note
2. A summary of the latest NHS Wales waiting times data is available here: NHS Activity and Performance Summary: May and June 2026 [HTML] | GOV.WALES
3. Professor Jon Barry, RCS England Director for Wales, has been appointed to the Elective Care Expert Group, bringing experience as both a practising surgeon and College Council member to inform the development of new surgical hubs across Wales. Surgeons welcome progress on Welsh surgical hub expansion — Royal College of Surgeons
4. Surgical hubs are dedicated facilities for planned procedures that can help protect elective surgery from disruption and increase the number of operations that can be carried out. RCS England has previously called for increased investment in surgical hubs as part of efforts to reduce waiting times.
5. The Royal College of Surgeons of 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 careers. 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.
6. For further information, please contact the Royal College of Surgeons of England press office on 020 7869 6053/6054/6047 or pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk.
The number of patient pathways waiting two years or more for consultant-led hospital treatment rose from 3,694 in April to 4,208 in May.
The number of patient pathways waiting over a year in May saw a slight increase to 97,590, up from 96,409 the previous month. In total, there were 689,721 referral-to-treatment patient pathways waiting for treatment, increasing from 680,003 the previous month.
The continuing rise comes as the Welsh Government’s first supplementary budget included an additional £100m for waiting list reductions, alongside £25m in capital expenditure for surgical and diagnostic hubs. However, the supplementary budget has not yet been approved by the Senedd, so uncertainty remains over when these additional resources may become available.
Commenting on the figures, Professor Jon Barry, Director in Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:
“These latest figures are a sobering reminder of the scale of the challenge facing our health service. Staff are working tirelessly to reduce waiting lists, but lasting improvement requires certainty over resources and expanded surgical capacity.
“The need for greater capacity, including more surgical hubs, attracted support from across the political spectrum during the recent Senedd election. That reflects a shared recognition of the importance of improving access to treatment for patients across Wales.
“Behind every waiting list statistic is a patient whose life remains on hold while they wait for treatment. We urge all parties to work together to secure the resources our health service needs and help more patients get the care they have been waiting for.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The proposed Supplementary Budget for 2026/27 included an additional £145 million for NHS Wales. This comprised £100 million in resource funding to increase planned care activity and £25 million in capital funding for new surgical hubs. Further information is available here: 1st Supplementary Budget 2026-2027: explanatory note
2. A summary of the latest NHS Wales waiting times data is available here: NHS Activity and Performance Summary: May and June 2026 [HTML] | GOV.WALES
3. Professor Jon Barry, RCS England Director for Wales, has been appointed to the Elective Care Expert Group, bringing experience as both a practising surgeon and College Council member to inform the development of new surgical hubs across Wales. Surgeons welcome progress on Welsh surgical hub expansion — Royal College of Surgeons
4. Surgical hubs are dedicated facilities for planned procedures that can help protect elective surgery from disruption and increase the number of operations that can be carried out. RCS England has previously called for increased investment in surgical hubs as part of efforts to reduce waiting times.
5. The Royal College of Surgeons of 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 careers. 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.
6. For further information, please contact the Royal College of Surgeons of England press office on 020 7869 6053/6054/6047 or pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk.