Powys Patients Could Face Longer Waits for Treatment as Health Board explores Cost-Saving Measures
Powys Teaching Health Board, which is currently grappling with a significant budget deficit, is considering controversial measures to reduce costs, including extending waiting times for treatment for Powys patients.
Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, has said he will be asking the Welsh Government to urgently intervene, and said the message seems to be, don’t fall ill if you live in Powys.
The health board will meet this Friday (10 January), to discuss a series of proposed actions aimed at addressing the financial shortfall. Measures under consideration include intentionally increasing waiting times for elective procedures and outpatient appointments, particularly in English hospitals serving Powys patients, despite there being capacity at NHS hospitals serving the region. If approved, the longer waiting times could take effect as early as next week.
Currently, Powys patients face average waiting times of 29 weeks at Gobowen's Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, and 24 weeks at Shrewsbury and Telford district Hospitals. Under proposals being discussed this week, waiting times could increase by between 5 to 11 weeks, in order to help the Health Board get closer to balancing its books.
Powys Health boards financial challenges are compounded by its small allocation in new Welsh health funding of the £50 million that was provided to Welsh Health Boards just before Christmas, which Montgomeryshire Senedd Member Russell George uncovered through questioning of the Welsh Government. In 2012, the Health board took a similar decision, which was exposed at the time by Mr George.
Commenting, Mr George said:
‘’Under what is being proposed, a Welsh NHS Health Board is effectively telling colleagues in England that they are treating patients too quickly and they can’t afford to pay. That would be completely scandalous.
‘’I would now expect the Welsh Government to intervene. This is not a case of there being no capacity to treat patients, it is quite the opposite. It is ridiculous that, despite there being capacity in NHS hospitals just over the border in England, patients from Powys will not receive treatment, because the local health board must meet Welsh Government financial targets.
‘’The Welsh Government should intervene and confirm to Powys Health Board that funding will be available to treat patients, especially when capacity is available in local NHS hospitals.
‘’It would be ludicrous if people from Wales had to wait longer for an operation than English patients in the same hospital, being treated by the same health professionals, simply because a Welsh NHS Health Board can’t afford to pay.
‘’People already endure long waits for treatment, often in pain and discomfort, and this is the last news they need to hear.
‘’I will be asking the Welsh Government First Minister and Health Minister to urgently intervene before Friday’s meeting, the Welsh Government need to appreciate that as Powys has no District General Hospitals, they need to fund the health board adequality to ensure they can pay other providers to deliver treatment for Powys patients.
‘’As was the case when this happened over a decade ago, the message seems to be, don’t fall ill if you live in Powys.’’
