9 hours ago
Opinion: Powys patients are being let down by the Government
Earlier this month, the Welsh Government claimed that no patient in Powys is waiting more than two years for treatment, writes Russell George MS.
Let me be absolutely clear: that is simply not true.
Unlike other counties in Wales, Powys does not have a District General Hospital. Our residents are instead referred to hospitals across the border in England, or in other parts of Wales.
That means when the Welsh Government says, 'no one in Powys is waiting more than two years,' they are not counting the very patients who are actually waiting for treatment, just because they're not being treated in Powys.
When I raised with the First Minister, she confirmed to me that there are at least 81 patients from Powys who have been waiting over two years, 40 of whom are waiting in English hospitals.
The Welsh Government's only response was to shift blame to the English NHS, calling it 'slow.', but that doesn't wash because we know that English treatment times for English patients are much faster than the Welsh waiting times.
What the Welsh Government conveniently failed to mention is that it is Powys Teaching Health Board that has asked English hospitals to deliberately slow down treatment for Powys patients due to Powys Health Board's financial situation, a financial situation that they have consistently asked the Welsh Government to address.
This is a betrayal of patients who have already waited far too long for the care they need and deserve.
The Welsh Government must stop playing games with the figures and start being honest with the people of Powys.
If 81 people from Powys are waiting more than two years for treatment, then that is the figure that matters, not how it looks on a government spreadsheet.
These are real people behind these numbers. People in pain. People waiting for hip and knee replacements, cancer treatment, and vital operations. They deserve transparency, not distortion.
It's time for the Welsh Government to treat Powys patients fairly and fund their care based on the services they actually use, regardless of which side of the border they're on.
What should happen is the Welsh Government should provide Powys Teaching Health Board the finance they need, in order for the health board to be able to pay English providers for treating Powys patients, based on the much faster English waiting times.
