Brecon and Radnoreshire MP disappointed by controversial Powys Teaching Health Board plans
I’m deeply disappointed that Powys Teaching Health Board has unanimously voted to push ahead with controversial plans that will see local patients wait longer for treatment in hospitals across the border
This decision means that Powys patients referred to hospitals in Shropshire and Herefordshire, such as Hereford hospital, will now be subject to Welsh NHS waiting times, despite being treated in English hospitals that operate under much faster performance targets.
It’s an appalling situation; these plans should have been scrapped the moment they were suggested. The fact that these plans have not only been revived but also formally adopted is nothing short of a disgrace.
People across Mid Wales are tired of drawing the short straw when it comes to public services. We pay our fair share of taxes like everyone else. Nobody chooses to travel miles for healthcare, it’s a necessity because Powys doesn’t have a major hospital of its own. The idea that waiting times are now being deliberately extended instead of reduced is beyond belief.
I will be raising this in Parliament at the earliest opportunity and will stand shoulder to shoulder with local residents in fighting to reverse this decision.
Let’s be clear, this is a direct consequence of years of underfunding by the Welsh Labour Government. Powys Teaching Health Board is staring down a £38.4 million deficit next year. Instead of tackling the root causes, they have taken the easy way out at the cost of patients’ wellbeing.
My colleague Jane Dodds MS is continuing the fight in the Senedd, and together we won’t stop until this decision is overturned.
This is about fairness, dignity, and the basic right to timely healthcare, regardless of your postcode. Rural communities like ours must not be punished for where we live.
The people of Mid Wales deserve so much better than this, and I won’t stop fighting for them until they get the fairness they’re owed.
If you’ve been affected by NHS waiting times or want to support our campaign, please get in touch with my office on David.Chadwick.MP@Parliament.UK
Brecon and Radnorshire MP David Chadwick
