New Welsh Government announces £145 million boost for NHS Wales

The funding, part of the Welsh Government's Supplementary Budget for 2026 to 2027, includes £100 million of revenue funding to support the Welsh Government's aims of reducing NHS waiting times.

£25 million of capital funding will be invested in new surgical and diagnostic hubs, dedicated to delivering high volume treatment to ensure patients can be seen quicker. The Welsh Government plans to develop up to ten surgical and diagnostic hubs over the next 4 years.

£20 million of capital funding will also be spent on essential maintenance across the NHS estate.

The Welsh Government's first Supplementary Budget will be published on 23rd June 2026. It sets out this Government's early spending priorities, targeting investment where it will make the greatest difference for the people of Wales.

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

We are determined to ensure the NHS works for both patients and staff - and we are acting now. This additional funding sends a clear signal that tackling waiting lists is an urgent and immediate priority for this new Welsh Government.

But we are not content to just bring down waiting times in the short term - we want to keep them down, so that patients don't have to wait in pain or discomfort. By investing in new surgical and diagnostic hubs, which will transform specialist treatments, we are putting the infrastructure in place so that our NHS is fit to treat more patients now and into the future.

The Welsh Government is also hosting 2 summits today aimed at strengthening primary care and supporting newly qualified health professionals. The Graduate Summit will review employment opportunities for this summer's nursing, midwifery and paramedic graduates, while the Primary Care Summit will bring health leaders together to focus on increasing health board spending on primary care by 0.5% each year from 2027 to 2028, a key commitment of the new Welsh Government.

The Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said:

Today's summits show we are acting now to make rapid progress towards our ambitions of transforming healthcare in Wales, fulfilling our 100 day commitment to develop a sustainable shift towards primary care, bringing NHS services closer to where people live.

And through our Graduate Summit, we are acting now to make sure this summer's nursing, paramedic and midwifery graduates are rewarded by having the career opportunities they've worked so hard for.