NHS diagnostic and therapy service waiting times: April 2017 to March 2018

Diagnostic services

• Over the past five year period, 2017-18 has been the best year overall in terms of numbers waiting over 8 weeks, with the lowest point across the whole time series being reached in March 2018:  
• The number of people waiting over 8 weeks in 2017-18 was higher than in the majority of months for 2010-11, but lower than 2011-12 for the majority of months.
• Aneurin Bevan Health Board has had the largest decrease of patients waiting more than 8 weeks over 2017-18. Consequently it went from having the majority of waits over 8 weeks at the start of the year to having almost none at the end of the year.
• There was a large decrease in patients waiting more than 8 weeks for diagnostic endoscopy services over 2017-18.

Therapy services

• 2017-18 has had a high level of variation in the number of patients waiting over 14 weeks for therapy services, having some of the highest and lowest monthly points compared with the previous seven year period. Although the numbers between April and October were generally greater than the previous seven years, performance improved from December, with numbers lower than the last six years. 
• Hywel Dda University Health Board saw the largest decrease of patients waiting over the target time in 2017-18.
• In 2017-18, podiatry and physiotherapy services accounted for the majority of waits over 14 weeks at the start of the year, but by March they had the least.