Waiting lists improve as emergency department pressures continue
The number of people waiting to start NHS treatment in Wales has fallen to its lowest level in almost three years, according to new figures.
Provisional data for January indicate a decrease in total pathways waiting and a decrease in pathways waiting more than two years.
There were just under 741,000 open referral-to-treatment (RTT) patient pathways in December 2025, a decrease of around 16,900 since November.
Welsh Government data shows that 115,700 pathways have been waiting longer than one year for treatment, while 5,200 have waited longer than two years.
The number of pathways waiting less than 26 weeks decreased to 59.4% in December, while the number of pathways waiting longer than 36 weeks decreased to just under 220,000.
Across Wales, just over 32,700 people are waiting longer than a year for their first outpatient appointment, the lowest figure since September 2020. Swansea Bay and Powys health boards have no one-year waits for a first outpatient appointment, while Hywel Dda has less than 1%.
In December, all health boards except Betsi Cadwaladr had either no two-year waits or fewer than 1%.
However, the number of patients pathways waiting for diagnostics rose to 137,300 – the highest figure on record. The number waiting longer than eight weeks (the target maximum wait) increased to just over 46,800.
Ambulance response times
The number of ‘purple’ calls made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in January increased to 941.
The category was introduced by the Welsh Government in July 2025 and is a response to individuals in cardiac and respiratory arrests.
5,228 red calls were received (around 14.2% of all calls), a decrease compared with December. This includes calls for major trauma and other incidents where patients are at significant risk of cardiac or respiratory arrest if they do not receive a rapid response.
Emergency departments
Due to changes in the way Welsh Government presents the data, a breakdown per hospital emergency department is no longer available.
Across Wales there were just over 88,400 attendances to all emergency departments in January – an average of 2,853 attendances per day.
Performance against the target of 95% of patients spending less than four hours in emergency department improved in January.
However 12-hour waiting times worsened compared with the previous month, with 11,392 patients waited 12 hours or more. This was 1,087 more than in the previous month.
A breakdown provided by the Welsh Government shows that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board had the lowest proportion of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within the four hour target and the highest number of patients waiting longer than 12 hours.
Political reaction
First Minister Eluned Morgan said treatment waiting time figures showed sustained improvement.
She said: “Seven months of the waiting list falling. The longest waits down by more than 90% from their peak. Tens of thousands more outpatient appointments delivered. This is real progress that’s making a massive difference to people’s lives.
“I made a commitment to the people of Wales to cut the waiting list and the longest waits. That’s exactly what is happening.
“These aren’t just numbers – they are real people having treatment in Welsh hospitals and clinics from hard working and dedicated NHS staff. What they do matters enormously.
“It’s important this momentum is kept up. We will continue to work hard every day alongside the NHS so everyone who needs it receives timely treatment.”
Plaid Cymru spokesperson for health and social care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said “mismanagement of the NHS has left patients paying the price.”
He said: “There remains 741,000 on treatment waiting lists, and a record high figure of 137,300 diagnostic patient pathways – people in pain and waiting for treatment or answers for far too long, right under Labour’s watch.
“A Plaid Cymru government will act straight away with our dedicated plan, co-designed with clinicians, to tackle the vicious cycle of never ending waiting lists.
“By rolling out surgical hubs in communities across Wales, reorganising staff and using underused hospital spaces to do so, and making health boards work together better and share resources more effectively, so patients can be treated faster no matter where they live.
Reform UK Senedd Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, James Evans MS said: “Ambulance waiting times are getting worse as Plaid and Labour’s budget deal sees cash splashed on making ambulances ‘greener’.
“Reform UK would cut waste and bureaucracy to ensure that taxpayers’ money reaches the front line of our NHS.”
Peter Fox MS, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee and the new Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care added: “Ambulance red call response times have gotten worse and the longest emergency department waits have shot up over 10%.
“The Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix our NHS. We will declare a health emergency, increase the number of beds in our hospitals, establish an NHS Wales Reserves Service to provide additional resilience in times of peak pressure to improve patient flow and cut waits.”
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