THE latest NHS performance statistics for Wales reveal a deterioration across a range of key measures, with cancer treatment performance falling further below target, ambulance response times remaining off-track, and two-year waiting lists rising sharply.

Performance against the 62-day target for patients starting cancer treatment worsened in April, falling to 56.7 per cent and well below the 75 per cent target.

For red calls to the ambulance service, the median decreased slightly to 9 minutes 12 seconds but the 90th percentile increased slightly to 22 minutes 39 seconds. This means the response time targets for red calls were not met.

The median response time for purple calls was 7 minutes 45 seconds, longer than the previous month.

In May, 11,066 patients waited 12 hours or more in A&E. This was 598 (5.7 per cent) higher than in the previous month; the target is 0.

NHS treatment waiting lists have increased to around 680,000 pathways an increase of around 13,300. The disparity in two-year NHS waits for treatment between Wales and England remains large, with NHS Wales two-year waits at approximately 3,700, compared with only 191 in England.

Commenting on the latest statistics, Reform Wales’ Shadow Cabinet Minister for Health, Prevention and Sport, James Evans MS said:

“These figures should be a wakeup call to this Plaid Cymru Government - two-year waits are rising, cancer treatment performance has deteriorated, thousands of patients are enduring excessive waits in A&E, and ambulance response times remain too slow.

“After propping up the previous Labour Government and backing its budgets, this new Plaid administration must now take responsibility for the immense pressure our health service is under.

"Reform Wales will continue to hold this government to account and fight for the timely, high-quality healthcare that the people of Wales deserve."