MS tackles First Minister over hospital saga

Montgomeryshire Senedd Member, Russell George, has called on the First Minister to take immediate action over plans that would delay treatment for Powys patients in English hospitals, despite available capacity.

The Montgomeryshire MS has written to First Minister Eluned Morgan expressing concern about Powys Teaching Health Board's (PTHB) decision to implement measures that could create longer waiting times for Welsh patients being treated in England.

According to Mr George, the plans- which were initially considered and dropped in January 2024- have now been revived and approved for the 2025/26 financial year, with implementation scheduled to begin in July 2025.

In his letter, the MS highlighted that English waiting times are falling more rapidly than those in Wales. He noted that £16 million would be required to ensure Powys patients receive treatment in line with English waiting time targets.

Mr George has asked the First Minister whether the Welsh Government will provide this funding or intervene to stop the plans altogether. He has also requested clarification regarding any discussions between the Welsh Government and UK Government on this cross-border issue, particularly in light of repeated references to a "new partnership" between the Labour governments in Cardiff and Westminster.

"I have written to Eluned Morgan MS, asking her and her government to intervene to stop these unjust plans," said Mr George. "Asking health providers in England to deliberately slow down treatment for Powys patients, even when there is clear capacity, should never have been on the table."

He expressed concern that the decision risks creating a "two-tier healthcare system" where Powys residents—who depend on hospitals in Shrewsbury, Telford, Oswestry, and Hereford—are forced to wait longer than English patients, even when treated by the same clinicians in the same hospitals.

"If the Welsh Government agrees that these plans are unacceptable, as the First Minister has suggested, then it must either provide the necessary funding or instruct PTHB to abandon this proposal," he added.

"The people of Powys deserve timely, fair access to healthcare, not second-class treatment."