Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) is set to move forward with plans that could see Welsh patients held in English hospitals for longer, aligning with NHS Wales performance targets. This comes as PTHB faces severe financial pressures, with the Welsh Government failing to provide significant support despite the board being under Level 4 escalation for finance, strategy, and planning.
Approved by the board on 26th March 2025, from July 2025, Commission activity for all providers in England and Wales will be based on the NHS Wales Performance targets. With activity levels reflecting the funding and performance standards available in the Welsh system (commissioning on the basis of the Welsh Government 104 week referral to treatment time target and 52 week outpatient target).
James Evans MS said:
“I am furious that Powys Teaching Health Board have decided that patients can suffer longer waits – not because of capacity issues – but because of their financial mismanagement! The Board have today voted that the English Health Boards will ‘slow down’ to match the levels of abysmal performance in Wales! As a result, Powys patients will suffer longer waits, some in chronic pain, not because of medical capacity but because of the financial black hole that the Health Board finds themselves in.
“Powys Teaching Health Board are underfunded, but they are also wasting money day in day out. The Board which has oversight is clearly not protecting the residents of Powys, only supporting the non-sensical decisions of Management. I expected more from our former Senedd Member Kirsty Williams who sits as a Vice-Chair to the Health Board. She has heard from hundreds of constituents during her time as an MS yet that is all forgotten with her paid position at the Health Board. The appointment of Managers continue, the latest being a Transformation Manager starting on £62k per year. I am fearful that no one has a grip on the finances and what bonkers decisions will we see next from this failing Health Board.
“Welsh Government need to get a grip on our Health Boards and step in to protect the patients of Powys. The First Minister has previously said that Health Boards should not be delaying treatment for patients across the Border, yet this is exactly what Powys are doing. I have submitted an urgent question to the Welsh Gov on what they can do to stop Powys patients suffering.”
