The Western Mail reports on concerns about whether the NHS in Wales will meet key targets as new figures show thousands of patients are waiting more than five months for surgery.
The Welsh Government wanted all patients to start hospital treatment within 26 weeks of being referred by their GP by the end of December 2009. But waiting times figures for December, which were published yesterday, suggest the NHS still has a long way to go before achieving the target. They also show that the number of patients breaching the former targets of 14 weeks for inpatient treatment and 10 weeks for outpatients have risen again.
December waiting times figures show that 2,243 people were waiting more than 22 weeks for inpatient treatment alone and a further 1,633 were waiting more than 22 weeks for a first outpatient appointment. This would suggest that almost 4,000 patients will not have started definitive treatment within the target 26 weeks from the time they were referred by their GP.
Welsh Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Peter Black commented: “I am very concerned by these figures. Patients should not have to wait excessive periods of time for treatment and government targets should be met. The Minister needs to look into way so many patients are waiting more than 26 weeks for treatment and direct the necessary resources to ensuring that there is a sustainable improvement in this situation.”
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