Public doesn't expect immediate changes to NHS waiting lists within first 100 days
Plaid Cymru launches 60-page bilingual plan for healthcare, education and governance
Long-term goal is to reduce NHS waiting lists to pre-COVID levels by 2030
Party is vying for first place with Reform in opinion polls for May election
📖 Full Retelling
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth launched a 60-page bilingual 100-day plan in Newport on Saturday, outlining what the party would accomplish in its first three months if it wins the May 7 Senedd election in Wales, acknowledging that the public doesn't expect immediate changes to NHS waiting lists despite the party's long-term goal of reducing them to pre-COVID levels by 2030. The comprehensive document focuses on healthcare improvements, educational standards, and better governance, with specific proposals including restricting smartphone use in classrooms for under-16s, establishing up to 10 surgical hubs across Wales, launching an express coach service between north and south Wales, and expanding free childcare. The plan emphasizes multiple reviews of public services, including an independent assessment of NHS performance, though it doesn't specify immediate targets for reducing waiting lists, with Ap Iorwerth defending the approach by stating that the public understands significant changes to healthcare systems cannot occur within the first 100 days of a new government.
🏷️ Themes
Healthcare reform, Educational policy, Government planning
This is a list of elections to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; Welsh: Senedd Cymru; formerly the National Assembly for Wales until May 2020), the devolved legislature of Wales. These elections have been held regularly since its establishment in 1999. The elections were held every four years from 1999,...
Rhun ap Iorwerth (Welsh pronunciation: [r̥ɨːn ap ˈjɔrwɛrθ]; born 27 August 1972) is a Welsh politician and journalist who has served as the Leader of Plaid Cymru since June 2023. He has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Ynys Môn since 2013.
Plaid Cymru (English: plyde KUM-ree, Welsh: [plaid ˈkəmrɨ]; lit. 'Party of Wales', officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales. It campaigns on a platform of social democracy and civic nationalism, ...
Public don't expect a difference to NHS waiting lists in 100 days - Plaid leader 21 minutes ago Share Save David Deans Wales political reporter Share Save People in Wales don't expect a "difference" to be made to NHS waiting lists in the first three months of a Plaid Cymru government, the party leader has said. Rhun ap Iorwerth promised to tackle the problem as he launched a plan for what Plaid would do in 100 days if it won the Senedd election in May. He told the BBC he wanted waiting lists to fall to pre-Covid levels by 2030 but played down how much action Plaid could take quickly. The long list of proposals published on Saturday morning is aimed at improving healthcare, raising educational standards and "better government". Promises include plans that could see smart phones restricted in classrooms and a new coach service from north to south Wales. The document promises multiple reviews of how public services work, including the NHS. Labour has been in power since the parliament's predecessor, the National Assembly for Wales, opened its doors in Cardiff Bay 27 years ago. Opinion polls have suggested Plaid is vying for first place with Reform for the 7 May Senedd election. Plaid has never won a Senedd election but has supported Welsh Labour-led governments in the past. Plaid Cymru vs Reform is choice between culture or ignorance, says ap Iorwerth Who is Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth? The 60-page bilingual document says a Plaid-led Welsh government would focus on "bringing down waiting lists" and commission an independent review of NHS performance. It does not give a target for how much lists could come down, but said Plaid would establish a group responsible for delivering up to 10 surgical hubs across Wales, with a report due at the end of 2026. Asked on Friday on the BBC's Walescast podcast whether waiting times would come back down to pre-pandemic levels by the end of a four-year parliamentary term, Ap Iorwerth said: "Yes, we should be able to expect that...
