Waiting lists set to rise

Long waiting lists are causing suffering for patients

Waiting list figures published on Wednesday are expected to show an increase in the number of patients in Wales waiting to see a consultant.

It follows a report in September last year that the number of people in Wales awaiting their first outpatient appointment had doubled since Labour came to power in 1997.

Staff shortages affect the NHS in Wales

Earlier this month it was revealed that a severe staff shortage was jeopardising improvements to the NHS in Wales.

The figures released on Wednesday cover a three month period from September to December.

Doctors believe that patients in south east Wales have to wait longer for treatment than those in any other part of Europe.

Almost 2,000 Welsh patients - mainly from south east Wales - wait more than 18 months for orthopaedic surgery.

Longer lists

In September 2001 figures showed that there were 203,003 people in Wales waiting to see a hospital consultant for the first time.

This compared to just over 100,000 in March 1997 shortly before Labour took power.

The length of waiting times had also increased.

Health Minister Jane Hutt set tough targets

In July 2001 the Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt set out "tough" targets for health authorities, sweetened by the offer of more money for services.

The new approach concentrated on key areas such as cancer and heart disease, and shifted the focus from waiting lists to waiting times.

Earlier this month a report warned that improvements to the NHS in Wales were being jeopardised by serious staff shortages, particularly among nurses.

The Welsh Assembly's audit committee said an increase in the number of training places was unlikely in the near future.

Alternative solutions included attracting back people who had left the health service and hiring new staff from overseas.