Montgomeryshire's Senedd Member, Russell George, has hit out at health bosses decision to increase waiitng times for north Powys patients heading to English hospitals.
The controversial proposal, which was scrapped earlier this year following public outcry, was reconsidered at a meeting today of the Powys Teaching Health Board.
The board has approved a plan which would see Welsh patients held in English hospitals for longer periods, aligning with NHS Wales’s slower performance targets rather than the typically faster standards in England.
The move comes as Powys Teaching Health Board grapples with severe financial pressures. The board is facing a £15.8 million budget deficit for 2024/25, which could rise to £35.6 million without exceptional Welsh Government funding.
Under the plans, commission activity for providers in both England and Wales will be based on NHS Wales performance targets. This means treatment times will reflect the Welsh Government’s longer 104-week referral-to-treatment time target and the 52-week outpatient target – significantly longer than English standards.
Critics argue this effectively forces English health boards to slow down care for Welsh patients, mirroring the poorer performance of NHS Wales. As a result, patients will endure longer waits—not due to medical necessity, but because of chronic underfunding of healthcare by the Welsh Government.
Russell George MS, said: "I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that Powys Teaching Health Board has now confirmed its decision to proceed with these damaging proposals. Asking health providers in England to slow down the delivery of care for Welsh patients, despite there being sufficient capacity, is both unjust and indefensible.
"This will create an unacceptable two-tier system where patients from Powys, receiving treatment in the same English hospitals as their English counterparts, will be forced to wait longer—not because of clinical need, but due to financial constraints and poor funding decisions by the Welsh Government. This is fundamentally unfair and risks leaving Powys residents in prolonged pain and discomfort."
"When I previously raised this issue with the First Minister, she assured me that it would not be acceptable for Powys patients to face longer waits than English patients when treated in England. Yet, this is exactly what will now happen. The Welsh Government must urgently explain how they intend to address this inequity and ensure Powys patients are not disadvantaged simply because of their postcode."
"The Health Board’s financial difficulties are clear but punishing patients by making them wait longer for care is not the solution. The focus should be on securing the necessary funding from the Welsh Government to purchase healthcare capacity in England based on English waiting times, not on imposing delays that will leave patients suffering needlessly."
"I will continue to challenge this decision and hold both the Welsh Government and Powys Teaching Health Board to account. Patients in Powys deserve equal and timely access to healthcare, no matter which side of the border they are treated on."
