£120m fund to cut wait times to be 'spent better', says health minister

Wales' new health minister has said a further £120m will be spent on continuing efforts to bring NHS waiting times down in Wales, but the money will be used more wisely than the previous Welsh government.

Mabon ap Gwynfor accused the Labour administration of "throwing money at the problem" by "outsourcing and insourcing without building internal capacity."

Under a Plaid Cymru government he said there would be a focus on "having a sustainable solution".

Former Labour health secretary, Jeremy Miles announced in June last year that £120m would be spent to bring down lengthy waits ahead of the Senedd election in May.

The latest NHS performance figures indicate waits for treatment in March came down for the tenth month in a row.

The numbers waiting two years or more fell 42.7% to just under 2,600 compared to February. But they still compare poorly with England where two-year waits are measured in dozens rather than thousands.

The figures also highlight the challenges of NHS performance are most keenly felt in Betsi Cadwaladr, the north Wales health board that has been in special measures for some time.

The minister maintained his pre-election pledge that the health board would be given two years to turn things around, or face restructure.

"We know that Betsi Cadwaladr is a problem, I live there myself," he said.

"Nearly half of the Welsh cabinet live in north Wales, so it's in our interest to get this resolved."

Paramedics and nurses training to enter the Welsh NHS were told in April about a freeze on newly-qualified paramedic recruitment due to financial pressures.

Ap Gwynfor said in the run up to the election that a summit would be convened, bringing together the various bodies to "try and find a position for as many of these people as possible."

In the Senedd on Thursday he said he planned to make a statement to MSs the next fortnight, and "a number of them will be in a position now, knowing what their futures are".