Controversial plans to delay treatment of Welsh patients at Shropshire hospitals to be dropped, says politician

Cash-strapped Powys Teaching Health Board has been considering a number of measures to cut costs - including asking health providers in England to slow down the delivery of planned care treatments, including outpatient appointments and inpatient procedures for Powys patients.

Montgomeryshire's Conservative Assembly Member, Russell George, had described the plans as "completely scandalous" and strongly criticised the proposals.

The proposals were intended to help ease the health board's financial issues by pushing payments for the treatment, which go to the hospitals providing it, into the next financial year.

Mr George stated that he had been in discussions with Welsh Government ministers and Powys Teaching Health Board to find a solution.

The health board is now scheduled to meet this Wednesday (January 29), and is  set to drop the plan, according to papers published today (January 27).

Health board members will now be asked to approve that the organisation does not implement any changes to elective activity in quarter four of 2024/25.

Responding to the developments Mr George said: "The health board will further discuss the proposal this Wednesday, and I expect them to agree on a recommendation before them to drop the plan which would have seen Powys patients wait longer for treatment than their English counterparts.

“These measures should never have been suggested in the first place. It would be 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. If the proposals were agreed, it could have meant hospital waiting times extending by up to 11 weeks or longer for Powys residents. This was of course, unacceptable.

“We in Powys, rely on hospitals across the border in England and this proposal risked creating an unjust disparity.

“I have 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 ensure these plans are not implemented. The First Minister informed me that it would not be acceptable for Powys patients to wait longer than their English counterparts when being treated in England. I took this response as more positive than a reply I had received the week before.

“I am feeling optimistic about the right outcome on Wednesday. There are, however, further questions about the longer-term financial support for our local health board.”