First minister sparks row with NHS bosses over waits

Her comments sparked a robust response from the Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents NHS health boards and their bosses.

Its director, Darren Hughes, said: “The first minister knows all too well from her time as cabinet secretary for health and social care that the NHS is treating more people than ever before and that there are a range of factors impacting on the rate of elective recovery.”

He suggested waiting lists could not be considered alone “but as part of the whole health and care system”.

All health boards, he said, faced a “huge challenge” in discharging medically fit patients “due to the immense pressures in social care, despite best efforts in joint working with local authority partners”.

“In some hospitals 20% of beds are unavailable as patients wait to leave hospital.

“This is like trying to run the NHS with one hand tied behind your back – we’re doing all we can to work with local authority leaders and care providers but the FM must be open about the scale of the challenge and what’s needed to put it right.”

Most recent figures for July show that 1,541 patients in hospital in Wales were fit enough to be discharged.

Over the last year, assessment issues were responsible for 41% of these delays and nearly a quarter were due to care home placement arrangements.

Earlier Freedom of Information requests by the BBC found the average delayed time patients were spending in hospital beds was five weeks.

It was calculated that this was costing the NHS £14m a month.

Last August’s waiting times figures hit record levels, with those waiting longest – more than a tear and two years – had increased.