WAITING list figures published yesterday have sparked an election row over health provision.
Assembly Health Minister Jane Hutt tried to focus on the positive news emerging from the new figures, which showed the first rise in those waiting for inpatient treatment in 12 months.
"Figures for April do historically show a rise due to the two bank holidays and staff taking leave after the efforts of winter. The changes this year are in line with those since waiting lists have been published and in many cases the figures are better," she said. She insisted that the overall trend was still downwards.
The Conservatives attacked Labour's "broken promises".
A £40m initiative funded by the Assemby to reduce the number of patients waiting for operations to below 65,000 by the end of March narrowly missed the target. Tory AMs unsuccesfully attempted to force Ms Hutt to resign as a result. The Tories claim that the "waiting list to get on the waiting list" has gone up 80% since 1997.
Liberal Democrat AM Kirsty Williams, emphasised the reduction in cardiac cases waiting 12 months or more, and claimed part of the credit for that for her party which is in coalition with Labour in Cardiff Bay.
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