Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jun 21, 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

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
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
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
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
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
×