Welshpool patients will face longer waiting times

Residents of Welshpool and surrounding areas in Powys will face significantly longer waiting times for NHS treatment, despite a £120 million Welsh Government fund announced last month to tackle health service delays.

The funding, announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Miles MS, is designed to reduce waiting lists across Wales but will not benefit Powys patients who receive treatment in English hospitals such as those in Shrewsbury, Telford, Hereford and Oswestry.

From July 1, Powys patients attending these cross-border facilities are being treated under the slower NHS Wales performance targets rather than the faster English standards, potentially adding weeks to treatment times. 

The decision was approved by Powys Teaching Health Board in March as a cost-cutting measure to meet Welsh Government financial expectations.

Montgomeryshire MS Russell George has described the situation as treating "Powys patients as second-class citizens" and challenged Health Secretary Jeremy Miles in the Senedd this week to ensure proper funding for cross-border healthcare.

Nearly half of all Powys patients, including many from the Welshpool area, receive their healthcare across the border in England due to the county's unique geography and lack of a district general hospital. Popular destinations for treatment include the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, and Hereford County Hospital.

The new arrangements mean that Powys residents will wait longer for the same treatment in the same hospitals as their English counterparts, purely due to different funding arrangements between the Welsh and English health systems.

"From 1st July, people in Powys will wait longer than patients just over the border, for the same treatment, in the same hospitals, due to the Welsh Government not being prepared to fund Powys Teaching Health Board adequately," said Mr George following this week's Senedd debate.

The disparity highlights the complex challenges facing healthcare in Mid Wales. England operates an 18-week maximum waiting time target for non-urgent consultant-led treatment, whilst Wales has struggled to meet its own performance targets. Current data shows that 95% of patients in Wales should wait less than 26 weeks from referral, with specific targets to eliminate waits longer than two years in most specialities.

However, Welsh performance has consistently lagged behind English standards. The latest Welsh Government data shows the average waiting time for treatment pathways in Wales was 23.6 weeks in December 2024, significantly longer than English equivalents.

The financial pressures on Powys Teaching Health Board have been mounting, with the organisation needing to make savings to balance its budget. Earlier this year, the health board briefly considered proposals that could have extended waiting times by up to 11 weeks for cross-border treatment before backing down following political pressure.

Mr George, who chairs the Welsh Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee, has been vocal in his criticism of the Welsh Government's approach. He wrote to Health Secretary Jeremy Miles specifically asking how the £120 million fund would benefit Powys patients on English waiting lists.

The Health Secretary's response confirmed that the funding would be "targeted at Welsh health board waiting lists," effectively excluding the thousands of Powys residents who rely on English hospitals.

Speaking after the Senedd debate on 2 July, Mr George said: "The Welsh Government is again letting Powys down. This is a failure of political will, not resources. The government must now act to treat Powys patients fairly, and fund cross-border care properly."

For residents of Newtown and the surrounding area, the implications are significant. Many routine procedures, specialist consultations, and diagnostic tests that were previously delivered according to English timeframes will now be subject to the slower Welsh targets.

This could particularly affect older residents and those with chronic conditions who frequently require specialist care that is only available across the border. The additional waiting time could impact not just medical outcomes but also the quality of life for patients and their families.

The controversy highlights the ongoing challenges of healthcare delivery in rural Wales and the complications arising from cross-border arrangements. Powys, as the most sparsely populated county in Wales, has long struggled with healthcare provision due to its geography and the need to rely on services in neighbouring English counties.

The Welsh Government's £120 million investment, whilst substantial, appears to have been designed without adequate consideration of the unique circumstances facing border communities like those around Newtown.

As pressure mounts on the Welsh Government to reconsider its position, local residents and campaigners will be watching closely to see whether a solution can be found that ensures equal treatment for all Welsh patients, regardless of where they receive their care.