Assistant editor, Wales News
Political reporter, Wales News
Getty ImagesWales’ largest and most troubled health board has said no patients will be waiting for more than two years for NHS treatment by the end of this year.
Dyfed Edwards, chairman of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, said he was “fairly confident” there will be no one on the long-term waiting list by next January.
The north Wales health board has been under the highest level of Welsh government scrutiny for the best part of a decade with the situation there being described as “acute”.
Figures for March, released two weeks ago, showed long-term waits across Wales falling to 8,389, the lowest since April 2021, but the majority – 5,747 – were in Betsi Cadwaladr.
In December, First Minister Eluned Morgan pledged to cut the number of patients in Wales waiting two years or more for planned treatments, from 24,000 to “about 8,000” by this spring.
Opposition parties said the March figures showed that target had been missed.
On Wednesday, Mr Edwards told Newyddion S4C: “We’re facing a capacity situation – that’s the central question.
“By the end of the end of this calendar year I’m fairly confident that no one will be waiting more than two years for treatment within this health board.”
Speaking in the Senedd earlier this week, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles confirmed that Swansea Bay, Hywel Dda, and Powys health boards had no patients waiting more than two years.
But he said Cardiff and the Vale and Betsi Cadwaladr had missed their targets.
Miles told MSs: “The problem is most acute in north Wales, where from this week, Welsh government officials will work alongside health board staff themselves to focus on turning around its planned care position.
“I expect the health board to meet its plans to significantly reduce long waits by the end of the first quarter of this year.”
The Welsh Conservatives have been calling for a public inquiry into the health board which was first placed in special measures in June 2015 and is still under Welsh the highest level of Welsh government scrutiny.
‘Hold our hand’
Newyddion S4C asked Mr Edwards when he expected that to be lowered.
“Our focus is on improving the health board itself, and the health and wellbeing provision for north Wales,” he said.
“I think that coming out of special measures will be a by-product of the success of the health board.”
When asked about the target of cutting the two-year waiting list for treatment, he added: “We’re facing a capacity situation – that’s the central question.
“By the end of this calendar year I’m fairly confident that no-one will be waiting more than two years for treatment within this health board.”
On the health secretary’s announcement that government officials were working alongside health board staff to focus on turning around its planned care position, he explained that the officials are there “to look at what steps we’re taking, to understand some of the challenges that we’re facing, and sometimes to hold our hand while we’re doing the work”.
“I think we’ve shown government officials that we’re on the right track.
“Sometimes the government need that reassurance and there’s nothing better than coming in to see for yourself, to get that evidence, and I think that’s what they’ve done this past week.”
