Waiting times by month
Note that data included in this statistical release covers a time period during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has affected both how some NHS services have been offered and people's choices regarding health services. See the latest release for more information.
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Total Waiting
Metadata
- High level information
- Summary information
- Weblinks
- Statistical quality information
- Keywords
- Open Data
Title
Diagnostic and Therapy Services Waiting TimesLast update
18/07/2024Next update
22/08/2024Publishing organisation
Welsh GovernmentSource 1
Diagnostic and therapy services waiting times, Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.walesDesignation
National StatisticsLowest level of geographical disaggregation
Local health boardsGeographical coverage
WalesLanguages covered
English and WelshData licensing
You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licenceGeneral description
This table provides the current diagnostic and therapy services waiting times data.Data collection and calculation
Please find this information in the related statistical release, as per the given weblink.From 1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. For more information see the joint statement from Cwm Taf and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards (see weblinks). The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board becoming Swansea Bay University Health Board. A link to the statement from the minister for health and social service can be found in the weblinks section.
Sites that were previously included under Community in Betsi Cadwaladr have been included individually in the data from October 2019 onwards. These sites are Abergele Hospital, Bryn Beryl Hospital, Cefni Hospital, Dolgellau & Barmouth District, Eryri Hospital, NW Cancer Treament Centre, Ruthin Community Hospital, Tywyn & District War Memorial, Ysbyty Alltwen and Ysbyty Penrhos Stanley.
Frequency of publication
MonthlyData reference periods
October 2009 onwardsUsers, uses and context
Please find this information in the related statistical release, as per the given weblink.Weblinks
The most recent statistical release can be found on the following weblink:https://gov.wales/nhs-diagnostic-and-therapy-service-waiting-times
https://cwmtaf.wales/welsh-government-announce-decision-on-bridgend-boundary-change/
https://gov.wales/written-statement-health-board-boundary-bridgend-associated-planning
Statistical quality
Please find this information in the related statistical release, as per the given weblink.Audiology pathways were reported as a therapies specialty until March 2024. From the April 2024 publication, audiology pathways are reported separately on StatsWales. These pathways have been removed from the full back series of therapies data, meaning there is no impact on the comparability of the series over time.”
Weight management pathways were included in the dietetics specialty until March 2024, but they are not reported from April 2024. This affects the comparability of therapies data for some health boards and for Wales over time. In March 2024 there were approximately 5,200 weight management pathways reported in the data.
There is a data quality issue affecting Montgomery County Infirmary and Victoria Memorial Hospital between April and June 2023. The published figures for ‘Radiology – GP referral’ are known to be lower than is actually the case for this period. The issue does not materially affect Health Board or Wales level analysis but users of the data at hospital level may need to be aware.
Betsi Cadwaladr were unable to submit data relating to therapy waiting times in April 2020 due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Derwen Hospital did not submit any data for therapies from August 2020 due to the Mental Health Migration project. Bridgend was unable to submit consultant, gastroscopy and MRI sub-speciality data for August and September 2020.This affects diagnostic and therapy services activity and performance data in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Swansea Bay and at a Wales level in those months.
Due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic all non-urgent outpatient appointments were suspended in March 2020. Meaning, most hospitals had to reduce or suspend the Diagnostic and Therapy services they offered, which led to an increase in the numbers waiting for the month of April 2020 and subsequent months.
From the April 2018 data (from the June 2018 release of this publication onwards), additional diagnostic tests for Cardiology have been included in the Diagnostic and Therapy waiting times data. These new records have been included in the waiting time totals and as a result there has been an increase in the number of people waiting for a diagnostic test.
Data for April 2017 for Cwm Taf University Health Board are estimated using their data for March 2017, as they were unable to provide any data for April 2017.
Neurophysiology data for April 2014 for Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB are estimated using their data for March 2014, this is due to the implementation of the service to a new hospital site which resulted in the April 2014 data being unreliable and hence not submitted by the LHB.
Radiology & imaging data for June 2013 for Cardiff and Vale University LHB are estimated using their data for May 2013. This is due to Cardiff and Vale University experiencing technical difficulties with the base data.
Physiotherapy data for February 2013 for Cardiff and Vale University LHB are estimated using their data for January 2013. This is due to Cardiff and Vale University being unable to provide full data on physiotherapy for February 2013, because staff sickness resulted in patients not being entered into the system in time for the submission.
Physiotherapy data for October 2012 for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board are estimated using their data for September 2012, as they were unable to provide full data on physiotherapy for October 2012.
Due to a data issue, figures for nuclear medicine for Aneurin Bevan were under reported between February 2015 and July 2015 inclusive. During these months data for Myocardial Perfusion Scans were not reported under nuclear medicine, whereas outside of these months this test was included under nuclear medicine. Therefore, the decrease in patients seen in February 2015 and the increase seen in August 2015 were due to the way the data were reported, rather than changes in actual numbers of patients. This has caused a difference of approximately 350-400 patients each month, and approximately 150 to 190 of these each month were waiting 8 weeks or longer for their scan. Therefore the exclusion of these patients slightly improves the Welsh performance against the standard.
Diagnostic Endoscopy, Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiological Measurement, Physiotherapy and Speech Language for Withybush General Hospital (Hywel Dda Health Board) have been estimated for September 2010 – May 2011 using data from August 2010 as they were unable to submit data due to migration from PAS to Myrddin.
Neurophysiology data for Aneurin Bevan local health board became available in June 2023, adding around 1,000 pathways that had not been reported previously. Neurophysiology diagnostic services were provided by Aneurin Bevan before June 2023, however those data are not available. This affects the comparability of diagnostics data for Aneurin Bevan and Wales over time.
