First Minister challenged on “two-tier” waits for Powys patients

A Montgomeryshire women’s agonising wait for a hip replacement has been highlighted in the Senedd to show that the current farce regarding medical treatment across the border.

Montgomeryshire Senedd Member Russell George told the First Minister that the women has already been on the list for 78 weeks, but had she been on the English side of the border she would have had it done after 29 weeks.

The woman is said to be in severe pain, with her mobility deteriorating considerably due to the ongoing wait.

Mr George has asked that part of a £180m health uplift should be directed specifically to Powys Health Board, to ensure that Powys patients who are waiting for treatment in England, wait no longer than English patients.

Mr George pressed the First Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, in First Minister’s Questions to act on what he described as a “completely unacceptable” situation where Powys patients are being made to wait far longer than English patients when waiting for treatment in the same hospitals, despite capacity to treat them being available.

Mr George reminded the First Minister that Powys Teaching Health Board had asked English provider trusts in England, to slow down treatment for Powys patients, due to financial constraints - a position the health board said it had to undertake so it could live within the financial expectations set by the Welsh Government.

The Senedd Member cited the case of Mrs Hancock, the Montgomeryshire resident, who has been waiting 78 weeks for her hip replacement, and has been told it could be 104 weeks before receiving her treatment, while the average wait for English patients waiting for the same treatment in the same hospital is around 29 weeks.

Responding, the Baroness Morgan MS said people in rural areas deserve the same quality of care and highlighted increased NHS funding. She also claimed an average treatment wait in Wales of 19 weeks and a 90% reduction in two-year waits since the peak, adding that the £180 million health and social care spending uplift will be distributed across all health boards.

Speaking after the exchange, Mr George MS said: “Powys patients are waiting many more months for treatment than English patients, when waiting for treatment in the very same hospitals. That is indefensible.

“A targeted allocation to Powys would let the health board buy extra available capacity in England, so all Powys patients could be seen based on the quicker English waiting-time standards to end this two-tier system.

“The First Minister cited an average of 19-week waits, but making this claim is just offensive to people like Mrs Hancock who has been waiting in pain for over 78 weeks, and still waiting, even though there is the capacity to treat her now.

“In citing an average 19-week wait, Eluned Morgan knows full well that this would not be the case for Powys patients waiting for treatment, such as a hip replacement.

“That is why I am continuing to ask for part of the health spending uplift to specifically end this cross-border inequity. Transparency matters. Ministers should provide the funding required to Powys Health board.”

Mr George has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care seeking written confirmation of a ring-fenced allocation of the additional health spend to be provided to Powys Health Board.