Dear Stephanie,

Thank you for your letter regarding the planned changes to the Welsh referral to treatment (RTT) waiting list statistics which are published as part of the NHS activity and performance summary.

We welcome your decision to publish provisional estimates for the total number of RTT pathways waiting and those waiting for more than one and two years from the August release onwards. We agree that releasing these provisional figures a month earlier than the final figures is in the public interest and will support more timely monitoring of the performance of the NHS in Wales. We ask that you consider how you will communicate the provisional nature of these figures and how you will outline any caveats regarding quality clearly to users.

We consider that your proposed criteria to evaluate alternative methods for other more timely figures in the run up to the Senedd election in May 2026 are appropriate and proportionate. Please keep us informed of any decisions you make in relation to these figures.

Yours sincerely,

Ed Humpherson
Director General for Regulation