Heatwaves drive record-breaking demand on NHS services in Wales

The recent heatwave has driven a demand on the NHS services in Wales, according to the latest figures.

For the third month in a row, the total numbers waiting for treatment by the NHS in Wales have risen, though two-year-waits have dropped slightly.

There were just under 698,400 patient pathways, which represent a patient's journey through NHS services, in June - an increase of about 8,700.

It is estimated the figures include 547,500 individual patients, as many are on more than one waiting list.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said the hot weather had contributed "to record demand".

The latest NHS performance figures show emergency departments in Wales had record levels of attendances in July, with an average of 3,357 a day.

While waiting times in A&E improved slightly on the previous month, both four and 12-hour waits remain some way off their targets.

Hughes said the recent hot weather had "taken its toll on the NHS", and had placed staff "under considerable strain as many worked in high temperatures".

"July saw the highest number of emergency department attendances on record for Wales, a deeply concerning milestone more often associated with the pressures of winter," he said.

"Hot weather increases demand and contributes to incidents such as falls through dehydration, dizziness, low blood pressure, fatigue and reduced mobility."

But despite record demand, he said that emergency department performance had improved, with better four-hour and 12-hour targets and average waiting times had fallen to two hours 57 minutes.

Cancer services also showed improvement against key targets, despite a 17% rise in the number of patients being referred for suspected cancer.

The proportion starting treatment within 62-days rose in June to 59.2% - the figures have hovered between 50-65% in recent years.

June also saw a rise in hospital outpatient referrals.

The numbers have increased fairly steadily in recent years - but the latest figures show an average of more than 5,000 referrals made a day across Wales - a 13.4% rise on the previous month.

The goal established by the previous Labour government was that no-one should wait longer than a year for their first outpatient appointment by the end of 2022.

While that target is yet to be met, the numbers waiting longer than that have drastically fallen in recent years, with a further reduction of 3% in June.

It now sits at more than 12,100 patients waiting longer than a year, compared with more than 100,000 in 2022.

Hughes said NHS leaders welcomed the Welsh government's focus on prevention, workforce planning, digital improvements and partnership working.

But he warned that the system remains under "unrelenting and escalating pressure".

He added: "Alongside longer-term financial certainty, the NHS needs a comprehensive 10-year capital investment strategy, including exploring alternative ways to generate investment.

"This would help improve productivity, patient safety and staff wellbeing and reduce disruption to planned care.

"We must prioritise reducing demand for healthcare services across the whole of government, and target efforts to enhance community care access, if we are to ensure services can meet the future needs of people across Wales."

Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said the statistics were "stark" and performance on overall waiting times was "nowhere near where it should be".

"The people of Wales deserve better, and as a new government we are working at pace to build an NHS in Wales where people are seen and treated much more quickly than today," he said.

"Behind every number in the latest statistics is someone waiting and wanting answers. That is why tackling the waiting list backlog is my absolute number one priority".

Ap Gwynfor announced an extra £145m to support the NHS in Wales and said plans would be revealed in the coming weeks on how waiting list and waiting times would be tackled.

He added: "This is not more of the same. It is a decisive shift that will get people seen quicker, cut waiting times, bring waiting lists down and, most importantly, keep them down - this will make a lasting difference that people will feel and see."