WITH the latest NHS waiting times to be published at 9.30am tomorrow (Thursday 20, January), Plaid Cymru has called for urgent action to tackle the NHS’ struggles with delays.

Ahead of the release, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for health and care, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, said: “With more and more people being added to waiting lists every day, and delayed transfers of care, our NHS is locked into a vicious circle.

“We can’t speed the flow of patients through the system until that is addressed, and in the meantime, our hard-working health and care staff are working around the clock to keep things moving.

“Perhaps the most explicit manifestation of this clogged up system is delays to ambulances, while they wait to offload seriously ill patients into hospital care, but all areas are feeling immense strain.

“While Covid has certainly exacerbated the problems, these issues existed long before the pandemic.

“Consequently, this isn’t just about waiting for Covid to go – this requires long term solutions to overcome long standing problems.”