Powys patients could wait longer for treatment so health board can save money

Powys Teaching health Board is facing a £9.4 million budget deficit and will consider a recruitment freeze, fewer agency and locum staff and intentionally increasing waiting times for operations and outpatient appointments in English hospitals to make savings, at a meeting on Friday (January 10).

Longer waiting times could begin from Monday (January 13), and the board is preparing for the possibility of legal challenges.

Powys patients currently wait between 29 and 19 weeks at Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Telford and Hereford hospitals.

These times could be extended by five or 11 weeks depending on the type of operation and how the scheme is implemented.

The health board would save money but patients would still be seen within the Welsh Government's treatment targets. Cancer patients, other urgent operations and under-18s would be excluded from the plans.

The board will have to decide whether to defer existing appointments, which would begin immediately, or those not yet booked into the system, with changes beginning in February.

The move could be legally challenged by individuals affected by the change, English partner hospitals could dispute the plans and it could lead to greater demands on social care, GPs, charities and the board’s staff.

A Powys Teaching Health Board spokesperson said their ‘first and foremost priority is to ensure the best possible health and healthcare for the people of Powys’ but the financial climate remains ‘very challenging’.

They said ‘exceptional action’ is need to save £9 million to achieve the financial targets agreed with Welsh Government.

The spokesperson said; “The health board is therefore introducing a freeze on recruitment and on agency spending.

"A number of scenarios are being considered, which potentially could lead to some waiting times for operations and outpatient appointments being around 5-11 weeks longer than currently envisaged.

"However, our goal remains firmly focused on meeting the Welsh Government Ministerial Measure of achieving zero patients waiting over 104 weeks by the end of March 2025.”

They said local residents will be given more information after the meeting.

The meeting agenda and papers are available from the health board’s website. There is also a link to follow the meeting online via Microsoft Teams.

Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, has said he will be asking the Welsh Government to urgently intervene, and said the message seems to be, don’t fall ill if you live in Powys.

Powys Health boards financial challenges are compounded by its small allocation in new Welsh health funding of the £50 million that was provided to Welsh Health Boards just before Christmas, which Montgomeryshire Senedd Member Russell George uncovered through questioning of the Welsh Government. 

In 2012, the Health board took a similar decision, which was exposed at the time by Mr George.   

Mr George said: ‘’Under what is being proposed, a Welsh NHS Health Board is effectively telling colleagues in England that they are treating patients too quickly and they can’t afford to pay. That would be completely scandalous.

‘’I would now expect the Welsh Government to intervene. This is not a case of there being no capacity to treat patients, it is quite the opposite. It is ridiculous that, despite there being capacity in NHS hospitals just over the border in England, patients from Powys will not receive treatment, because the local health board must meet Welsh Government financial targets.

‘’The Welsh Government should intervene and confirm to Powys Health Board that funding will be available to treat patients, especially when capacity is available in local NHS hospitals.

‘’It would be ludicrous if people from Wales had to wait longer for an operation than English patients in the same hospital, being treated by the same health professionals, simply because a Welsh NHS Health Board can’t afford to pay.

‘’People already endure long waits for treatment, often in pain and discomfort, and this is the last news they need to hear.

‘’I will be asking the Welsh Government First Minister and Health Minister to urgently intervene before Friday’s meeting, the Welsh Government need to appreciate that as Powys has no District General Hospitals, they need to fund the health board adequately to ensure they can pay other providers to deliver treatment for Powys patients.

‘’As was the case when this happened over a decade ago, the message seems to be, don’t fall ill if you live in Powys.’’

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have condemned the Welsh Labour Government over potential further cuts at Powys Teaching Health Board, accusing them of forcing the Health Board to make deep cuts and failing to fund health services in rural areas properly.

The Liberal Democrats have been especially critical of plans that may see treatment in England reduced or waiting lists for treatment in England increased, highlighting that just last summer the Welsh Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan and Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens were both boasting of plans to drive waiting lists in Wales down by treating more people in England.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member Jane Dodds said: “I am very disappointed by the news that the Powys Teaching Health Board will once again be forced to make cuts thanks to the financial recklessness of the Welsh Labour Government.

“We cannot expect our health boards to continue to operate under these conditions, the Welsh Government must realise that it is not the job of staff and patients to clean up the mess they have made.

“This cannot stand, we need to make sure that our healthcare services in Powys are receiving ample funding to ensure that we are meeting the medical needs of residents.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick added; “We have already seen unacceptable cuts to local health services over the last several years, including the downgrading of Minor Injuries Units just a few months ago. It is completely unsustainable to expect communities to deal with yet more cuts to local services.

“Just a few months ago the Welsh Secretary promised to use English hospitals to drive down waiting times, now they are presiding over a potential massive reduction in those very services.

“Welsh Labour must stop forcing the Health Board to make these dramatic cuts and properly fund health care services in Powys. That means recognising the challenges in delivering services in rural areas like ours.

“I will continue to stand up for my residents' right to access healthcare locally and without the extensive delays.”