Why wait?

Wales is facing record-high waiting times across its health and care systems, with over 800,000 patient pathways open as of October 2024—an increase of 73% compared to pre-pandemic levels. These delays erode public trust, exacerbate health inequalities, and place additional strain on an already overstretched workforce.

This publication highlights a number of Bevan Commission Exemplar projects across a range of areas that address specific bottlenecks, enhance patient flow, and optimise resource use. Adopting these approaches across Wales could provide immediate support to help reduce waiting times, with the potential to free up thousands of GP appointments annually, reduce hospital admissions and bed days, and shorten waiting lists through improved efficiency in diagnostics, surgery, and community-based care.