NHS Waiting Lists
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Contributions
Shivani Raja (Leicester East) (Con)Conservative
1. What discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on reducing NHS waiting lists in Wales.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)Labour
I thank NHS staff and care workers for their tireless work, but I also understand the frustration felt by people in Wales that waiting lists are going up under the Plaid Cymru Government. Just last week the Chancellor announced an additional £450 million for the Welsh Government to deliver public services. That is on top of the largest spending review settlement since devolution. I hope that the Welsh Government use this funding wisely to improve NHS services and reduce waiting lists.
Welsh Government figures show that, as of March 2025, there were more than 30,000 Welsh people waiting for NHS treatment in England, which is almost three times the number in 2011. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Welsh Government about managing this cross-border demand, reducing waiting times in Wales and ensuring that services in England have the capacity to meet the needs of patients on both sides of the border?
Wales is the home of the NHS, and I am proud of the way that Welsh Labour has always been its fiercest defender, even in the face of Tory austerity. Welsh Labour brought those waiting lists down for 10 consecutive months before the last election. They are now rising under the Plaid Cymru Government, and we need to see clear action from the Welsh Government to bring them down. We regularly have discussions on how we can do that.
Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)Labour
As the Minister has just said, NHS waiting lists have soared to a 10-month high since Plaid Cymru’s election, despite the progress that was being made as they came down under Welsh Labour. Will the Minister join me in urging Plaid to make cutting waiting lists a priority, especially as we enter these winter months, when NHS pressures are at their greatest?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Waiting lists are going up under Plaid Cymru after the Welsh Labour Government brought them down for 10 months straight. Welsh Labour has always prioritised the NHS, including through free prescriptions, mental health support via 111, free car parking in hospitals, women’s health hubs and specialist mental health support in every school. Those were Welsh Labour decisions based on Welsh Labour values, and I urge the Plaid Cymru Government to honour them, perhaps by using the £450 million in additional funding that this UK Labour Government announced at the Budget just last week.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5432165.