Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Covid: £100m to 'kick start' NHS waiting list backlog

Covid: £100m to 'kick start' NHS waiting list backlog

An initial £100m will be spent to try to deal with the record backlog of NHS treatments caused by the pandemic, Wales' new health minister has said.

Eluned Morgan said the money will "kick start" the recovery of the health and care system.

All health boards will get a share of the funding for new equipment, staff and promoting "new ways of working".

Last month NHS Wales statistics showed more people were on waiting lists than ever before.

Those figures also showed there had been an eightfold increase in the number of patients waiting more than nine months for planned treatments.

In announcing the funding, the health minister said the money would not only support staff but also "transform services" so they were "fit for the future".

"The remarkable commitment of our NHS and social care workers has helped us through this pandemic to a point where we can now start to think about the future," she said.

"I am determined that we now provide them the support they need to help the service recover."

She added she was "under no illusions about the size of the task ahead", but stressed there was a "real opportunity to transform the delivery of health and care services".

"We must take this opportunity to create a health and care system that is fit for the future. The pandemic saw the early and swift adoption of new technology and ways of working, I want to see health boards build on this good work," she said.

But cancer charities have concerns about the impact of the pandemic on waiting times for both patients and staff.

Richard Pugh, head of Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, told BBC Wales: "The backlog is a worry because people are coming in to the system.

"These incredible staff are fatigued. We weren't in the best place with cancer before this. The complications are that more people are coming in and the system can't cope.

"We warned about this months ago. The key thing is supporting the staff but our worry is the new numbers coming in."

How will the £100m be shared?


* Cardiff & Vale will get £13m to increase capacity for a range of therapies and diagnostics, including staff recruitment and two new mobile theatres
* Powys will get £2.5m to transform patient services and increase capacity for a range of services
* Cwm Taf Morgannwg will use £16m for recruitment and investment in surgical and diagnostic capacity
* Hywel Dda is to receive £13m to improve capacity for planned care, including hospital redesign and investment in diagnostics
* Aneurin Bevan will get £17m for projects to increased capacity in planned care, diagnostics, therapies and mental health
* Swansea Bay will use £16m to increase capacity in a wide range of areas, including theatres, recruitment and ophthalmology
* Betsi Cadwaldr will get £20m to increase capacity in planned care, cancer, dental, diagnostics and endoscopy
* Velindre will use £2.5m to increase capacity for radiotherapy.

The initial £100m funding was announced in March by Vaughan Gething, the previous health minister, ahead of the Senedd election.

During the subsequent election campaign, Labour promised £1bn would be spent over a number of years on an NHS recovery plan.

Staff are "exhausted", says NHS Wales boss Dr Andrew Goodall

NHS Wales chief executive Dr Andrew Goodall had previously warned staff were "exhausted" and said tackling the NHS could take "years to recover".

Figures published last month showed, as of February, waiting lists had hit record levels with 549,353 awaiting treatment or surgery. This is the equivalent of 17% of the Welsh population.

The statistics also showed almost 218,000 had been waiting more than 36 weeks - nine months - for treatment by February this year.

That is about eight times higher than in the same period last year, before the pandemic officially hit.

The latest NHS Wales performance statistics will be published at 09:30 BST on Thursday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×