Waiting Times

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 1:34 pm on 4 November 2020.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:34, 4 November 2020

Okay. So, I can say that, in terms of the increase in out-patient activity, from April, when, of course, we made the choice—which I think was the right choice—to end lots of activity within our healthcare system, and elective care and out-patients in particular, lots of those were paused to allow us time to prepare for the wave that we knew was coming, and we then had—. Lots of members of the public opted out of treatment as well, even in essential services. So, we have this big backlog that's built up and a really significant drop in activity. Since April to September, elective activity within Swansea bay has increased 147 per cent and there's been a 60 per cent increase over the same timescale in out-patients. We are now seeing a receding back in some of those areas of activity because of the extra wave of COVID patients coming into our hospitals.

And that, again, is part of the point I was trying to make in answer to the first question from Dr Lloyd, and that is that, as we see a rise in coronavirus in our communities, as we see more beds taken up with COVID patients, it will affect the other activity we can undertake, and that's why the message with the public is so important, as we look to the end of the firebreak, not to let the hard-won gains go.  Because we know that, even if we go through this winter without needing to have another firebreak, there is a big challenge coming in the future to deal with the backlog that's been built up. So, yes, we're having to make choices about ending some forms of elective and out-patient activity to manage our COVID patients. What we don't want to do is see that disappear altogether, because that in itself would be a real cause of harm for people that you and I represent, and others, all across our country.