New Welsh Government announces £145 million for NHS Wales waiting times
The Welsh Government has announced £145 million in extra funding for NHS Wales this financial year, with waiting times named as the immediate target.
The money is split three ways: £100 million in day-to-day funding to bring down waiting lists, £25 million for new surgical and diagnostic hubs, and £20 million for maintenance of NHS buildings across Wales.
The Welsh Government said it plans to build up to ten surgical and diagnostic hubs over the next four years.
For patients in Flintshire and across north Wales, where Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) has spent years in special measures, the announcement comes as waiting times remain a persistent concern.
No locations have been named for the planned hubs, and no specific allocation for BCUHB has been announced.
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said:
“We are determined to ensure the NHS works for both patients and staff – and we are acting now.
“This additional funding sends a clear signal that tackling waiting lists is an urgent and immediate priority for this new Welsh Government.
“But we are not content to just bring down waiting times in the short term – we want to keep them down, so that patients don’t have to wait in pain or discomfort.
“By investing in new surgical and diagnostic hubs, which will transform specialist treatments, we are putting the infrastructure in place so that our NHS is fit to treat more patients now and into the future.”
The funding forms part of the Welsh Government’s first Supplementary Budget, which sets out its early spending priorities and will be published on 23 June 2026.
Alongside the funding announcement, the Welsh Government hosted two summits on Tuesday: a Graduate Summit focused on employment for this summer’s nursing, midwifery and paramedic graduates, and a Primary Care Summit aimed at increasing health board spending on primary care by 0.5% each year from 2027 to 2028.
Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:
“Today’s summits show we are acting now to make rapid progress towards our ambitions of transforming healthcare in Wales, fulfilling our 100 day commitment to develop a sustainable shift towards primary care, bringing NHS services closer to where people live.
“And through our Graduate Summit, we are acting now to make sure this summer’s nursing, paramedic and midwifery graduates are rewarded by having the career opportunities they’ve worked so hard for.”
The Royal College of Nursing Wales welcomed the investment but said buildings alone would not be enough.
Nicola Williams, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said:
“Investment in surgical and diagnostic hubs, alongside funding for essential maintenance has the potential to significantly improve our populations health, reduce delays, improve experiences and increase NHS capacity.
“However, buildings and equipment alone will not reduce waiting lists.
“Delivering sustainable improvements depends on having the right, appropriately trained and skilled workforce in place and nurses will play a pivotal role in the provision of safe, effective and efficient care to ensure that the surgical and diagnostic hubs fully achieve the ambition.
“Therefore, funding robust workforce modelling and plans is critically important.”
Williams also raised concerns about newly qualified nurses struggling to find permanent posts in Wales.
“Nursing staff are telling us consistently and across Wales that, despite there being no vacancies, there is insufficient staff to meet increasing patient complexity and demand and nurses are going without breaks and feel most shifts that they are unable to give the care that patients need,” she said.
“It is therefore deeply concerning that newly qualified nurses have faced uncertainty about securing substantive employment.
“Wales cannot afford to lose the talent, skills and commitment of a generation of nursing graduates that our health and care services desperately need.”
The full Supplementary Budget will be published on 23 June 2026.
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