Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) has shelved proposals which would have increased waiting times for Powys patients in English hospitals.

At a meeting today (Wednesday), an updated recommendation was presented to the board.

It was decided that the proposals will not go ahead.

On January 10, PTHB met to discuss controversial proposals to delay care for Powys patients at English hospitals to save money, as it attempts to save around £10 million.

If the proposals had been given the green light, it could have meant waiting times extended by up to 11 weeks or longer for people in Powys, where some patients receive treatment from NHS England due to the county’s proximity to the border.

After that meeting, it was decided that further work was needed before a final decision was made.

The proposals were met with widespread opposition from the public and across the political spectrum.

But now, following today’s meeting, these proposals have been shelved.

However, the board said it recognised that the financial position for the NHS remained “very challenging” and noted that further work would be required with providers of hospital care for Powys residents to ensure that activity plans are affordable for the public purse in the year ahead.

Dr Carl Cooper, Chair of PTHB, said: “In making this decision we took account of the pressing need to address the very difficult financial position for the health board, as well as the impact on patients and the challenges in implementing such measures. We also recognised that this would not have led to patients waiting longer than Welsh waiting time targets other than in known challenged specialties such as spinal surgery.

“When we put our plan in place for 2024/25 we did not expect the pace of improvement in waiting times that we have seen in the English NHS. These improvements are positive news for patients, albeit that they have caused additional, in-year cost pressures for our health board.

“In developing our plan for 2025/26 we need to make sure this offers the best quality and outcomes for patients, builds on our strong commissioning relationships with providers of hospital services in both England and Wales, and is affordable within the resources we receive from Welsh Government.

“We are therefore working with NHS providers to agree a commissioning approach that best meets the overall healthcare needs of Powys residents in a way that is affordable to the public purse. This will be central to the development of our Integrated Plan for 2025/26.”

The next meeting of the board is due to take place on March 26, 2025 and will include an update on the development of the health board’s plans for 2025/26.

James Evans, MS for Brecon and Radnorshire, said the proposal should never have been considered in the first place.

“Ever since these plans were first announced, I have vocally opposed them at every opportunity,” he said.

“I am glad Powys Teaching Health Board has seen sense and decided to shelve plans which could have seen Welsh patients wait longer for vital treatment and potentially cause more suffering as a result.

“The proposal should never have been considered in the first place but is a symptom of Labour’s failure to adequately fund health in rural Welsh communities, like Powys.

“This is a victory for common sense and shows what local lobbying can achieve when people come together to say that we will not stand by and be treated like second class citizens.”

David Chadwick, MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe said he was “extremely glad” to see the plans pulled.

“They [the plans] were never appropriate and they would have put patient well-being at risk,” he said.

“I was proud that Liberal Democrat representatives worked closely with the public to make sure these plans never saw the light of day.

“However, the situation that forced the health board into this corner remains, with the Welsh Labour Government insisting the health board makes £23 million in budget cuts.

“Welsh Labour needs to understand the challenges of providing health care in a rural county like ours which doesn’t have its own hospital.

Jane Dodds, MS for Mid and West Wales, added: “It is absolutely right these plans have been pulled.

“We cannot allow more and more of our services in Mid Wales to be downgraded.

“I will continue to fight for health care services and for more of these services to be delivered in the community.”