Healthcare in Wales is to be offered hundreds of millions more pounds next year to tackle record-high waiting times.
An extra £1.5 billion is being put into public service, as part of the Welsh Government’s proposed £26 billion budget for 2025-26.
The funding includes more than £600 million in extra revenue and capital funding for health and social care, which is intended to help the NHS continue to cut waiting times, improve mental health services, and strengthen women’s health services.
Patient waiting times continue to hit record-high levels in Wales, with more than 619,000 on one or more lists across the country.
All departments will see an increase in revenue in the budget of between 3.5% and 12%, with Mark Drakeford, the finance secretary, calling it an opportunity to “rebuild and reinvigorate our public services”.
However, Plaid Cymru has said the plans “falls short” and will not deliver the ” transformational change that the people of Wales were promised.”
Mr Drakeford said: “This is budget for a brighter future, delivering an extra £1.5 billion for our public services and priorities, helping to put Wales firmly back on the path of growth after 14 difficult years.
“This is in stark contrast to the last couple of years when we have been forced to make some very difficult and painful decisions.
“This draft budget offers a real opportunity to start to rebuild and reinvigorate our public services.
“It delivers increases to all departments and a significant boost in capital funding, meaning more investment in the very fabric of our nation – in our school and NHS estate, in housing and in public infrastructure.
“This is good budget for Wales. But it will take time to reverse the damage inflicted on Wales over 14 long years of neglect from previous UK administrations.”
Departments will receive:
– Health, social care and early years will receive an extra £435m revenue funding (3.8%) and £175m of capital funding (39.9%)
– Housing and local government will receive an additional £279.9m revenue funding (5.4%) and £120m of capital funding (11.2%)
– Education will get an £83.6m revenue funding (4.9%) and £28m of capital funding (8.1%) for education
– Transport an additional £69.6m revenue funding (12%) and £51m of capital funding (10.7%)
– Climate Change and Rural Affairs an additional £36.35m revenue funding (6.6%) and £71.95 of capital funding (31%)
– Economy, Energy and Planning an additional £19m revenue funding (4.3%) and £121.5m of capital funding (59.1%)
– Social Justice – receives an additional £6.8m revenue funding (4.7%) and £3m of capital funding (23%)
The draft budget will be discussed on Tuesday but will not be voted on until March next year.
The Welsh Labour Government does not have the votes it needs to pass the budget itself and will need support from another party to get it through the Senedd.
Addressing the Welsh Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Drakeford said: “This is a budget that will provide faster treatment for thousands and thousands of people here in Wales.
“This is a budget that will build thousands of homes for people who so badly need them.
“This is a budget that will see all those children whose additional needs have not been met being met in the future.”
Heledd Fychan, deputy leader of Plaid Cymru, said: “Whilst it’s true that there is additional funding in this budget, we have to remind ourselves that the funding made available to the Welsh Government falls short of the funding Wales is owed.
“At 1.3%, we’ve received the lowest real-terms increase of all the devolved nations in resource funding up to 2025-26.
“It’s hardly the transformational change that the people of Wales were promised.”
During First Minister’s Questions, the new Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar, accused the Labour of “smoke and mirrors” with the budget.
He said they were giving with one hand while taking away with the other through UK Government national insurance increases.
He added: “The truth is, as you well know, that hundreds of millions of pounds that you say is extra money coming to Wales will simply go straight back down the M4 into the coffers of the Treasury.”
Eluned Morgan, leader of the Welsh government, said those directly employed by the public sector will be “covered in terms of national insurance”.
She added: “(This) is the highest budget uplift since the beginning of devolution.
“That’s the difference a Labour Government in Wales makes.”
