National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes:

a) the continuing pressures on the NHS in Wales, including excessive waiting times for treatment, ambulance response delays, overcrowded emergency departments, and the use of corridor care;

b) concerns raised by clinicians and patients regarding patient safety and capacity across the Welsh health and social care system; and

c) the need for urgent, system-wide action to restore performance and public confidence.

2. Regrets that, after 27 years of Welsh Labour Government, NHS performance in Wales remains among the worst in the United Kingdom for waiting times and access to treatment.

3. Believes that the scale of the challenge requires an emergency response to increase capacity, improve patient flow and strengthen resilience across health and social care services.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) declare a national health emergency to trigger immediate action across the NHS and social care;

b) reopen closed community hospital wards to provide step-down and rehabilitation care, and improve patient flow;

c) review and increase hospital bed capacity and surge provision;

d) establish a dedicated NHS Wales recovery team to drive improvements in waiting times and emergency care performance;

e) end the practice of corridor care and designate 12-hour waits in emergency departments as never events;

f) improve recruitment, retention and training of doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives;

g) expand surgical hubs and diagnostic capacity to reduce waiting lists;

h) improve access to GP services, including seven-day appointment availability; and

i) publish a long-term workforce and infrastructure plan to modernise the NHS and social care system in Wales.