Surgeons welcome prioritisation of surgical hubs as latest waiting times are published
18 Jun 2026
Surgeons have welcomed the Welsh Government’s prioritisation of surgical hub expansion, as the latest NHS Wales waiting times figures underline that maintaining sustained reductions will depend on expanding surgical capacity.
The number of patient pathways waiting two years or more for consultant-led hospital treatment rose from 2,589 in March to 3,694 in April.
The number of patient pathways waiting over a year in April also saw a slight increase to 96,409. In total, there were 680,003 referral-to-treatment patient pathways waiting for treatment, increasing from 666,694 the previous month.
The figures come as the Welsh Government begins expanding the surgical hub network, following a recent commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to prioritise this work.
In a statement to the Senedd, the Cabinet Minister for Health and Social Care set out the expansion of surgical hubs as foremost on his agenda, and Department of Health officials are currently working to establish a Task and Finish Group to develop the delivery plan for hub expansion. This has been reinforced by a further £145m in NHS Wales funding announced this week as part of the upcoming Supplementary Budget, including investment in new surgical and diagnostic hubs to help increase capacity. These are positive steps, but surgeons and patients now need to see rapid implementation to ensure waiting times are reduced more quickly.
RCS England’s 2025 UK Surgical Workforce Census found that surgeons in Wales reported both higher levels of burnout and stress, and less access to theatre than their other UK counterparts. Surgical hubs can provide protected theatre capacity, helping surgeons treat more patients while reducing inefficiencies that contribute to frustration and burnout.
Professor Jon Barry, Director in Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:
“After ten months of hard-won progress, today’s figures show waiting times going backwards again – a stark reminder of how fragile recent improvements have been, despite the efforts of NHS staff. Too many people are still waiting far too long for treatment, unable to continue with their normal lives.
“Short-term measures have delivered progress in previous months, but are not a sustainable solution that will deliver the long-term reductions in waiting times that patients deserve.
“Surgeons want to treat patients, but we need reliable access to operating theatres to do so. The Welsh Government’s commitment to expanding surgical hubs is welcome, and the additional funding announced this week is an important step, but we urge ministers to deliver these plans at pace.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The Cabinet Minister for Health and Care delivered a statement on 2 June outlining his priorities: Plenary 02/06/2026 - Welsh Parliament
2. As part of the upcoming Supplementary Budget for 2026/27, the Welsh Government announced £25m of capital funding for establishing new surgical and diagnostic hubs: New Welsh Government announces £145 million boost for NHS Wales | GOV.WALES
3. A summary of the latest waiting times data for Wales is available here: NHS Activity and Performance Summary: April and May 2026 [HTML] | GOV.WALES
4. Read the RCS England 2025 UK Surgical Workforce Census: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/standards-and-research/surgical-workforce-census/
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 more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.
The number of patient pathways waiting two years or more for consultant-led hospital treatment rose from 2,589 in March to 3,694 in April.
The number of patient pathways waiting over a year in April also saw a slight increase to 96,409. In total, there were 680,003 referral-to-treatment patient pathways waiting for treatment, increasing from 666,694 the previous month.
The figures come as the Welsh Government begins expanding the surgical hub network, following a recent commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to prioritise this work.
In a statement to the Senedd, the Cabinet Minister for Health and Social Care set out the expansion of surgical hubs as foremost on his agenda, and Department of Health officials are currently working to establish a Task and Finish Group to develop the delivery plan for hub expansion. This has been reinforced by a further £145m in NHS Wales funding announced this week as part of the upcoming Supplementary Budget, including investment in new surgical and diagnostic hubs to help increase capacity. These are positive steps, but surgeons and patients now need to see rapid implementation to ensure waiting times are reduced more quickly.
RCS England’s 2025 UK Surgical Workforce Census found that surgeons in Wales reported both higher levels of burnout and stress, and less access to theatre than their other UK counterparts. Surgical hubs can provide protected theatre capacity, helping surgeons treat more patients while reducing inefficiencies that contribute to frustration and burnout.
Professor Jon Barry, Director in Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:
“After ten months of hard-won progress, today’s figures show waiting times going backwards again – a stark reminder of how fragile recent improvements have been, despite the efforts of NHS staff. Too many people are still waiting far too long for treatment, unable to continue with their normal lives.
“Short-term measures have delivered progress in previous months, but are not a sustainable solution that will deliver the long-term reductions in waiting times that patients deserve.
“Surgeons want to treat patients, but we need reliable access to operating theatres to do so. The Welsh Government’s commitment to expanding surgical hubs is welcome, and the additional funding announced this week is an important step, but we urge ministers to deliver these plans at pace.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The Cabinet Minister for Health and Care delivered a statement on 2 June outlining his priorities: Plenary 02/06/2026 - Welsh Parliament
2. As part of the upcoming Supplementary Budget for 2026/27, the Welsh Government announced £25m of capital funding for establishing new surgical and diagnostic hubs: New Welsh Government announces £145 million boost for NHS Wales | GOV.WALES
3. A summary of the latest waiting times data for Wales is available here: NHS Activity and Performance Summary: April and May 2026 [HTML] | GOV.WALES
4. Read the RCS England 2025 UK Surgical Workforce Census: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/standards-and-research/surgical-workforce-census/
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 more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.