NHS activity and performance summary

The Chief Statistician has temporarily suspended reporting of referral to treatment (RTT) waiting list statistics for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. This followed serious concerns about the accuracy and integrity of the RTT data submitted by the health board for recent months.

The 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. A review of data collection, quality assurance and governance has been undertaken, and the health board is urgently addressing the issues identified. It is expected that full RTT reporting will re-start from January 2026.

In the interim, referral to treatment time statistics are published excluding data from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Advice and guidance is provided in the statistical publication on the appropriate interpretation of these statistics, given that the data do not cover the whole of Wales.

Official statistics must be produced to the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The activities being undertaken aim to restore accurate and trustworthy reporting as quickly as possible, so that these statistics can continue to meet user need.

The Office for Statistics Regulation has been informed of this decision.