Ambulance delays fall to four-year low in Wales

Ambulance handover delays have fallen to their lowest level in more than four years, with September seeing a 40% reduction compared to September 2024.

Response times are also improving – the average time to reach people in the “amber” 999 category was 25 minutes faster in September.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “We have targeted reducing ambulance patient handover times and I am pleased to see the results of this work as September saw the lowest ambulance hours lost since July 2021 – this needs to be sustained as we move into the challenging winter months.”

The latest NHS performance figures also show the overall waiting list is continuing to fall, with provisional September data indicating a drop of around 15,000 in the overall waiting list and a significant reduction in long waits.

Powys, Swansea Bay, Hywel Dda, Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Aneurin Bevan health boards have either no two-year waits or less than 1% of pathways waiting two years.

However, emergency department attendances were the highest for any September on record.

Mr Miles added: “Emergency departments across Wales continue to treat high numbers of people every month – but it is important to remember we don’t all need to go to hospital to get help from the NHS. There are many local health services which provide help.

“Getting vaccinated against flu, Covid-19 or RSV is one of the most important steps we can take to help ourselves and our NHS this winter.”

The public is being urged to use local pharmacies for common illnesses and NHS 111 Wales for advice, while free vaccinations are available to protect against winter illnesses.