Ten new elective care hubs are to be established across Wales to accelerate treatment for patients awaiting non-emergency care, as part of efforts to tackle persistently high NHS waiting times. The Welsh Government announced the plan on 29 June 2026, with the hubs expected to offer diagnostic tests such as scans, along with surgery and other treatments.
Expert Group to Lead Planning
A delivery plan for the hubs will be developed by an Elective Care Expert Group comprising NHS surgeons, nurses, and managers, with the plan to be published by the end of 2026. The Welsh Government stated that the hubs form part of its First 100-day plan. Cabinet member for health and care, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said: "Increasing capacity for planned surgery and diagnostics and cutting long waiting times by separating planned care from emergency pressures is a key priority for this new Welsh Government. We have already announced £145m of investment to support these aims."
Ap Gwynfor added: "This expert group will plan out how many elective care hubs we will need, where they will be based and how they will increase capacity in the system. We want planning for these hubs to be led by the people who know best — the surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists working on the front line every day. Their expertise will ensure we build a planned care system that is resilient, efficient and works for patients across Wales."
Current Waiting Times Crisis
Waiting times in Wales remain a major issue, despite a fall from the peak during the pandemic. There are approximately 680,000 active waits for treatment in Wales. The number rose in April 2026 from March, after 10 months of consecutive falls. Of these, 168,400 are waits of more than 36 weeks, and just under 3,700 are waits of more than two years. The average time patients had been waiting for treatment at the end of April was 14.8 weeks, 0.7 weeks shorter than the previous month and the lowest figure since March 2020. Provisional data for May suggests a further increase in the total number of waits and those over two years.
Targets are also being missed on ambulance response times, waits in accident and emergency departments, and cancer treatment. The hubs aim to increase capacity for planned surgery and diagnostics, reduce cancellations, and cut long waiting times by separating planned care from emergency pressures.
Expert Group Membership
The Elective Care Expert Group will include senior surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists, and operational leaders from across NHS Wales. The independent clinical chair will be Rhidian Morgan-Jones, a recently retired consultant orthopaedic surgeon with experience in Wales and England, currently an elected British Orthopaedics Association trustee. Professor Jon Barry, director Wales of the Royal College of Surgeons, will provide learning from across the UK. Other members include national clinical lead for anaesthetics Dr Claire R Dunstan, lead nurse for anaesthetics Sophie O’Donovan, Corrina Casey, and Corrina Casey, director of performance and delivery at NHS Wales Performance and Improvement. The group will draw on learning from existing hubs in Wales and best practice from across the UK and internationally.
