Surgeons call for Wales to invest in surgical hubs

The Royal College of Surgeons of England has launched a Senedd election manifesto calling on the next Welsh Government to expand surgical hub capacity and commit to a long-term workforce strategy for health and social care ahead of the May 2026 election.

Wales currently operates just one surgical hub for a population of 3.2 million people. England has more than 120, and Northern Ireland has six for a smaller population of 1.9 million. Surgical hubs separate planned procedures from emergency pressures, protecting elective capacity and reducing last-minute cancellations that knock patients off operating schedules.

The manifesto was published alongside NHS Wales waiting list data showing 713,000 patient pathways outstanding in January 2026. While this represents a reduction from the post-Covid peak of 802,268 in November 2024, the College warned that progress remains insufficient. Findings from the UK Surgical Workforce Census reinforce the challenge: 60.5% of surgeons in Wales reported difficulty accessing operating theatres, and 63.7% reported experiencing burnout.

Professor Jon Barry, Director in Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: "Without dedicated, protected space for planned operations, waiting lists in Wales will continue to be disrupted by winter pressures and spikes in emergency demand." The College called specifically for a minimum of four surgical hubs established in the first year of the new government, supported by a Strategy Development Board for workforce planning.

The manifesto also addressed cosmetic surgery regulation, data collection on sexual misconduct and child dental health as further priorities for the incoming Welsh Government.