Dear Ed,

I am writing to notify you of a decision to suspend the publication of referral to treatment time (RTT) statistics for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. This follows serious concerns about the accuracy and integrity of the RTT data submitted by the health board for recent months.

Concerns include anomalies in reported waiting list sizes and inconsistencies with operational activity levels, which have raised questions about the reliability of the data submitted. The impact of this issue, at both a Wales and health board level, is still being assessed, however it is clear that it affects our ability to reliably measure monthly changes. The suspension will remain in place until an external investigation into the quality and governance of the data is complete.

The statistics form part of the monthly NHS activity and performance summary. The suspension relates to elective activity only and does not extend to other statistics in the same publication, such as those on cancer, diagnostics, or urgent and emergency care.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has commissioned an external investigation into the quality and governance of RTT data for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The review will examine data collection processes, quality assurance, reporting practices and governance arrangements. A statistician will be involved in this review to provide expertise on the standards and practices required for accredited official statistics. The outcome of this review will inform the way forward on the reintroduction of the full referral to treatment time statistics for Wales.

Our quality assurance processes have not identified similar issues for other health boards. Therefore in recognition of the public value and high interest in these statistics, in the interim, referral to treatment time statistics will be published excluding data from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Advice and guidance will be provided to users on the appropriate interpretation of these statistics, given that the data will not cover the whole of Wales.

I am committed to ensuring these high profile statistics meet the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value that users would expect. The steps outlined in this letter are designed to improve data quality, provide transparency to users and uphold the standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

I will keep you informed on the outcome of the review and any further steps taken to ensure the quality of these statistics.

Yours sincerely,

Stephanie Howarth