PTHB welcomes Welsh Government funding for NHS Wales 104 week waiting time standards

1 October 2026

Powys Teaching Health Board has welcomed additional Welsh Government funding of £3.5 million to help reduce waiting times for patients requiring planned treatment and diagnostic services. 

The funding forms part of a Welsh Government £145m programme to end two year waits for treatment and bring the overall waiting list down to pre-pandemic levels before the end of this Senedd term. 

The majority of the funding will support our work to ensure Powys patients are not waiting longer than two years from referral to treatment, in line with NHS Wales waiting time standards and national planned care recovery objectives. Welsh Government has made clear that eliminating waits of more than 104 weeks remains a national priority. 

For Powys patients receiving care in other parts of Wales, funding has been allocated directly to the health boards providing those services to help ensure patients do not exceed the two-year waiting time standard. 

For Powys patients receiving treatment from providers in England, funding has been allocated to Powys Teaching Health Board to work with NHS Trusts in England to secure additional activity and reduce the risk of patients waiting longer than two years for treatment. 

The package also includes investment to support diagnostic services and improve access to essential tests within Powys, helping patients move more quickly through their care pathway. 

Nicola Johnson, Director of Planning, Performance and Commissioning at Powys Teaching Health Board, said: 

"This funding is focused on helping us tackle the longest waits for the population of Powys. Our priority in line with Welsh Government targets is to ensure that nobody waits longer than two years from referral to treatment for planned care. We will continue to focus on our own provider services and to work closely with NHS providers in both Wales and England to improve access to treatment and diagnostics and deliver better outcomes for patients." 

The funding forms part of a wider national programme to reduce waiting times, increase planned care activity and improve patient access to NHS services across Wales.