Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, has welcomed Powys Teaching Health Board’s decision to drop plans that would have seen a delay in treatment for Powys patients in English hospitals. The MS has also stated that further questions about longer-term financial support for the local Health Board now need to be addressed.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Powys Teaching Health Board was considering measures to address financial pressures. Among the proposals was a plan to ask health providers in England to slow down the delivery of planned care treatment, including outpatient appointments and inpatient procedures for Powys patients.
In a meeting of the Health Board today (29/01/25), Board Members agreed to accept a recommendation to drop the proposals.
The Montgomeryshire MS had described the plans as completely scandalous and had strongly criticised the proposals. Mr George stated that he had been in discussions with Welsh Government Ministers and Powys Health Board in an attempt to find a solution.
Mr George said:
“I welcome Powys Teaching Health Board’s decision to drop plans that would have seen a delay in treatment for Powys patients in English hospitals.
‘’These measures should never have been suggested in the first place. It would have been ludicrous if patients from Wales were forced to wait longer for treatment due to financial constraints, especially when there is sufficient capacity to treat those patients within NHS hospitals just over the border.
‘’We in Powys rely on hospitals across the border in England, and the proposal would have created an unjust disparity, where Welsh patients wait longer than their English counterparts.
‘’I had discussions with the First Minister, Health Minister, and Powys Teaching Health Board to encourage all parties to agree on a way forward that would prevent these plans from being implemented.
‘’My focus now is to bring about change, ensuring our local Health Board is adequately funded so that this threat does not arise again in the future.”
Health Boards across Wales are responsible for planning and delivering NHS services in their areas. The seven Health Boards across Wales receive funding from the Welsh Government, with allocations made annually. During this financial year, all but one Health Board submitted deficit annual plans to the Government reporting a total deficit of £220 million. Six Health Boards reported to the Welsh Government that they were projecting an overspend.
In response, the Welsh Government provided £112 million of additional funding to address inflation issues and support the Health Boards during this difficult period of financial need. The Health Boards were expected to find the remaining savings required. For Powys, this meant they were expected to deliver a further £9.9 million in savings to meet the Welsh Government’s financial targets.
Mr George, who also chairs the Welsh Parliament’s Senedd Health Committee, added:
“Throughout January, I asked both the Health Secretary and the First Minister about Welsh Government support for Powys Teaching Health Board. When I raised the need for greater financial support for Powys Teaching Health Board with the First Minister, she informed me that it would not be acceptable for Powys patients to wait longer than their English counterparts when being treated in England.
‘’Given the First Minister’s response, the question she and the Health Minister now need to address is how the Government will ensure the Health Board is fully funded to a point where it can buy healthcare capacity in England based on English waiting times, rather than the much longer NHS waiting times here in Wales.
‘’There are several issues the Welsh Government also needs to address. When funding is provided to Health Boards, there is a greater consideration given to those that have District General Hospitals within their boundaries. What the Welsh Government needs to appreciate is that, while Powys Health Board does not have a hospital of its own, it still has to pay for treatment from other health providers outside of Powys.
‘’The Government also needs to look at other fundamental challenges, such as better supporting rural health boards, tackling workforce shortages, and addressing service demand—all of which are essential for ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the NHS in Wales.”