HYWEL Dda Health Board patients waited longer to start treatment than patients in any other health board area in Wales between January and March this year, figures have revealed.

Statistics for the first quarter of 2016 showed that, while the percentage of patients waiting over 26 or 36 weeks for treatment had reduced between January and March, the percentage of people waiting was higher than any other health board.

In January 2016, 20.6 per cent of the 57,017 patients waiting for treatment waited over 26 weeks for treatment to start. A total of 9.8 per cent of those patients waited more than 36 weeks.

That improved in February 2016 to 18.6 per cent waiting more than 26 weeks and 8.8 per cent waiting over 36 weeks out of the total 56,480 patients waiting for treatment.

There was further improvement in March, with 17.4 per cent waiting more than 26 weeks and 7.5 per cent waiting over 36 weeks out of the 56,848 patients.

But despite the improvement, the statistics for Hywel Dda were the worst of all Welsh health boards.

Across Wales the national targets for 26 and 36 week waits for treatment were again missed, with those targets not having been met since September 2011.

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