19 March 2026
As the Welsh government celebrates a record drop in elective waiting lists, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has warned the ‘worst’ record setting in Emergency Departments (ED) must come to an end as it’s putting vulnerable people at risk.
It comes as new data on Emergency Department performance in Wales reveals one in seven patients (9,811) patients waited 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred from a major ED last month.
That’s the worst performance for the month of February on record.
Meanwhile, 16,118 patients waited eight hours or more. Again, that’s the worst performance for the month of February on record.
And, when looking at the number of people who waited for four hours or more, 29,359 endured this wait.
Overall, that’s 49% of patients in major EDs. And again, it’s the worst four-hour performance for any February on record.
It comes after the worst January on record for performance across the board.
Dr Rob Perry, RCEM Vice President for Wales, said: “Yet again, the government is celebrating record-breaking figures in the reduction of waiting lists for elective care and stated its ‘determined to keep driving’ this down.
“While cutting waiting lists for routine operations is important, it can’t be done in isolation. You cannot fix one without fixing Overcrowding and long waits in EDs.
“The reality on the ground is our Emergency Departments continue to be under enormous strain and overstretched – which is reflected in today’s data. Another month of setting unwanted records is nothing to be proud of. It’s deeply concerning.
“We have patients lining corridors of our departments, in trolleys that are side by side, next to another patients and family members crammed next to them, trying to hold their hand. This is not what we want for our patients, and for our staff who are trying their best to deliver care in these conditions.
“Overcrowding and long waits in our departments is ultimately down to the lack of flow through our hospitals. We can’t get patients into hospital ward beds because there aren’t any available for them to be moved into. That has a huge impact on the rest of the system – issues that aren’t sustainable.
“We hope for the day the government can celebrate meaningful reduction in the number of people enduring extreme long waits in our departments. But for this to happen, there must be a sustained focus on addressing the underlying causes systemic issues in urgent and emergency care.
“If not, patients will continue to be put at risk.”