The comments followed an Audit Wales report which shows Wales is still to meet its target to eliminate two-year waits that was set by the previous Government.

The Welsh Government said: ‘The waiting list backlog inherited from the previous administration is unacceptably high and imposing intolerable strains on patients and staff alike. This new Welsh Government has made tackling long waits for treatment a top priority over this Senedd term.

‘We expect every health board to cut waiting lists further and faster. Through our elective care plans, we will eliminate two-year waits within a matter of months and reduce the overall backlog to pre-pandemic levels before the end of this Senedd term.

‘Our ambitious national programme will expand surgical and diagnostic capacity across Wales which will help increase the number of people treated, improve access and cut waiting times. We are also introducing a new clinically led approach to planned care, driven nationally and focused on modernising services. Our focus is on building a system that can meet demand sustainably and deliver timely care for patients.'

Just over 4,500 people have been waiting over two years as of February 2026 down from a peak of around 70,400 in March 2022, according to Audit Wales.

Health boards received an extra £547m to reduce long waits between 2022-23 and 2024-25.

Before the pandemic, the target was for all patients to start treatment within 36 weeks. In February 2019, around 13,300 pathway waits exceeded 36 weeks. By February 2026, that number had risen to around 185,000 — about 14 times higher.

As of February 2026, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and general surgery made up just over half of around 106,000 waits of over one year.

The waiting list is still around 50% larger than it was before the pandemic.