The five things NHS bosses want from whoever wins the Senedd election on 7 May
NHS leaders across Wales are calling on the next Welsh Government to overhaul social care, tackle a staff shortage running to thousands of vacancies, and invest in hospital buildings, many of which date to the 1960s or earlier.
The Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents health board leaders including those at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), published the demands ahead of the Senedd election on 7 May.
The body surveyed 95 NHS leaders — including chairs, chief executives and executive directors — and identified five areas it says the incoming government must address.
Social care topped the list.
The confederation says that on any given day, between 1,400 and 1,700 patients in Welsh hospitals are medically fit to leave but cannot be discharged because no care package is in place, according to StatsWales figures cited in the document.
The organisation says that blockage puts pressure on A&E departments, wards and waiting times across the country.
BCUHB, which runs Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor and serves patients across north Wales including Flintshire, recorded the worst A&E four-hour performance of any health board in Wales in the most recent reporting period, at 49.4%.
On the NHS workforce, the document says NHS Wales had more than 5,000 full-time equivalent vacancies as of February 2025, according to Audit Wales.
The pay bill for NHS Wales staff rose by 62% over five years, from £3.23 billion in 2017-18 to £5.23 billion in 2023-24, according to Health Education and Improvement Wales figures cited in the document.
In 2023, NHS Wales staff lost 1.3 million working days to sickness absence.
The confederation is calling for a fully funded long-term workforce plan, to be developed by Health Education and Improvement Wales and Social Care Wales.
On hospital buildings, 91% of the NHS leaders surveyed said they would support a 10-year capital strategy to reshape the NHS estate.
The document notes that 12% of the NHS estate in Wales was built before 1948, and only 6% since 2015.
The confederation is also calling for a cross-government prevention strategy and a joint health and social care performance framework, which it says should shift the focus away from hospital targets and towards community-based care.
The Welsh NHS Confederation said it “will continue to represent the views of NHS leaders as part of this debate, and we look forward to engaging with all political parties and candidates.”
Voters in the Fflint Wrecsam constituency, which covers Flintshire and parts of Wrexham, will elect six Members of the Senedd on 7 May.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
