Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, has called on the Welsh Labour Government to take immediate action to tackle huge NHS physiotherapy waiting lists.

Statistics released today reveal that the number of people waiting over 14 weeks for physiotherapy care increased to 2,755.

The maximum wait for access to specified diagnostic tests is 8 weeks and for specified services is 14 weeks. Today's statistics show that 8,420 patients have been waiting longer than 8 weeks for diagnostic services, while 3,516 patients have been waiting over 14 weeks for therapy services.

Responding to the Health Minister's 'remarkable achievement' claim regarding the financial position of Welsh LHBs, Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrat said:

"I am absolutely flabbergasted that the Health Minister can call this a 'remarkable achievement'. What's remarkable is that the Health Minster thinks that this is an achievement.

In the Senedd this afternoon, Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, challenged the First Minister over his Government's record on stroke treatment in Wales.

The first recommendation of the Assembly's Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee's report, which was published over two years ago, was for the Welsh Government to develop a stroke strategy. Since then, the Welsh Labour Government has ignored these calls, refusing to make steps towards a comprehensive stroke strategy.

A Freedom of Information request has shown that the number of cancelled operations has continued to be on the rise with Local Health Boards struggling to keep up with demand.

Responses from Local Health Boards have shown there is still a significant problem of NHS bed shortages across the whole of Wales. Hywel Dda LHB revealed that 2,486 operations have been cancelled due to the lack of beds, while in Cardiff and Vale LHB 2,618 operations were cancelled.

Welsh Liberal Democrats manifesto for the local elections 2012

Maniffesto Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru ar gyfer etholiadau Ileol 2012

Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, today launched the Welsh Liberal Democrat campaign for the local government elections by promising to continue delivering better local services, better schools and better value for money.

Welsh Liberal Democrat research has shown that a large proportion of mental health patients are leaving full time care without any support available to them.

A Freedom of Information response has shown that 50% of mental health patients are being discharged from Cardiff and Vale LHB without being assigned a care co-ordinator. The FOI response has also shown that 36% of patients are being discharged without any type of care plan.

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams, has welcomed the rise in the income tax personal allowance that will put £130 back in the pockets of over a million low and middle income workers in Wales.

The rise has meant that a further 51,000 of the lowest paid people in Wales are lifted out of paying income tax altogether.

Following a report released by the Welsh Liberal Democrats showing that only 37% of dentists in Wales are accepting new NHS patients, the First Minister has said he will set his Government a 100% target by 2016.

When Labour introduced the new dental contract in 2006, Rhodri Morgan, the then First Minister, told the Assembly that everyone who needed access to an NHS dentist would get it. Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, asked in First Minister's Questions for clarification on whether 100% was the Welsh Labour Government's target by the end of this Assembly. The First Minister confirmed this would be the case.

Original research by the Welsh Liberal Democrats has revealed that NHS dentistry is still far from being a universal service in Wales. A survey of all dental practices in Wales showed that only 37% are currently accepting new NHS patients.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat survey also revealed that:

• Waiting lists remained stubbornly high - almost two thirds (63%) of dentists accepting NHS patients have a waiting list. 65% of those were for more than two months. In one extreme case, a dental practice had a waiting list of six years before a new NHS patient could be seen.
• Missed appointments are a real problem for dentists - more than half (55%) reported an increase in missed appointments in the last year, costing both time and money.
• More than half of dentists (53%) reported problems with the way the current dental contract operates. 31% believe that the contract needs to change.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are today calling on the Welsh Labour Government to publish details of its meetings with lobbyists and external pressure groups.

The Liberal Democrats have consistently campaigned for reform of the rules around lobbying, which is why the UK Government now routinely publishes details of all meetings Ministers and Civil Servants have with lobbyists. The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe the Welsh Labour Government should do likewise.