Wales orthopaedic wait times need urgent action - audit

The auditor general says waiting times for orthopaedic treatment have been a challenge for many years

Orthopaedic treatment wait times are at least three years away from pre-Covid levels in Wales, a report has found.

The Audit Wales report found "urgent action" is needed to tackle the long waits and the adverse impact they have on patients' health.

Orthopaedic services, which treat patients with bone, joint and muscle conditions, have never met national wait time targets in Wales.

The Welsh government said it welcomes the findings of the report.

• First post-Covid hospital target is missed

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• The numbers behind record long hospital waits

The report found 101,014 people waiting for orthopaedic treatment in Wales, a 56% increase compared to March 2020.

More than half are now waiting longer than the 26-week target, and just over one third are waiting more than a year.

Adrian Crompton, the auditor general, said waiting times for orthopaedic treatment had been a challenge for the NHS for "many years", with the pandemic making them "significantly worse".

"It is positive to see that there is a clear commitment to improve orthopaedic services, but urgent action is needed to secure short-term improvements in waiting times," he said.

He added that this would "minimise how long people wait in pain and discomfort, as well as creating more sustainable longer term improvements".

The report has recommended the Welsh government prepare a clear delivery plan to improve wait times, improve efficiency and productivity within the service and improve communication and support for those waiting.

"We welcome the report and support its findings and recommendations, which we are already committed to address, said a Welsh government spokesperson.

"We have been working with orthopaedic leads and Professor Briggs from the "Get it Right First Time" programme on the improvements needed for the service and we have been very clear to the NHS that those improvements need to be delivered at pace."