Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:47 pm on 25 January 2022.
First Minister, around 20 per cent of people in Wales are on a waiting list for non-urgent treatment, of which 1 in 4 of those patients have been waiting over a year for treatment, and more than 42,000 people have now been waiting for treatment since November 2019. Now, last week, the health Minister warned that figures are likely to get worse before they get better. Therefore, in light of the health Minister's remarks a few days ago, can you tell us what modelling the Welsh Government has done in relation to waiting time figures? Because it's vital that, as a Government, you look at the worst-case scenarios so that health boards are able to plan the delivery of services in their regions more effectively. And is the health Minister right that waiting times are likely to get worse?