Flu cases show sharp rise as NHS waiting times worsen

Meanwhile, waiting lists rose for a ninth month in a row to hit record levels again.

The number of patient pathways in October was 802,122, up by 825.

Because some patients are on more than one waiting list, the number of individual patients waiting is estimated to be 620,311 – this is also a record.

The Welsh government has pledged to tackle the longest waits, but those waiting both a year and two years increased over the month.

There were still 24,177 patient pathways for consultant-led specialisms waiting more than two years, while they have been virtually eliminated in England.

More than 40% of these longest waits are in north Wales, while a quarter of the two-year waits are for ophthalmology treatment.

There was also a rise of 3,500 in one-year waits over the month.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “Overall, two-year waits for treatment are now almost two-thirds lower than at their peak during the pandemic.

“We expect to see these fall markedly over the coming months as we start to see the impact of the additional £50m to reduce long waiting times.”