Opinion: Labour has betrayed Powys patients over health
A £120 million fund announced to cut waiting times across Wales will not cover Powys residents receiving care in English hospitals.
A recent Powys Health Board decision means that patients who have their care in English hospitals are now having operations intentionally delayed because Powys Teaching Health Board cannot afford to pay.
This is a betrayal of border communities who rely on cross-border care. This is not about capacity or lack of doctors or nurses – this is about money.
I've challenged the Cabinet Secretary for Health on this. People here pay the same taxes, they deserve the same treatment!
This crisis doesn't stop at cross-border care. Our NHS in Wales is sadly in the worst state it's ever been. Nearly one in five people in Wales are on a waiting list. Thousands are stuck in pain for over two years. A&E targets are being missed month after month, with long waits and care in corridors.
Ambulances are queuing outside hospitals not able to respond back to the communities for 999 calls. GP practices are struggling under immense pressure.
NHS dentistry is close to collapse with less than half of the Welsh population able to access NHS dental care.
In Powys, as in the rest of Wales, people are living in pain or giving up on trying to get an appointment altogether.
However you look at it, things badly need to change in Wales. The staff do their best in challenging circumstances and my thanks go to each and every one on the frontline.
Processes, procedures need to change, top level management need to be accountable for failures. That includes the Health Minister!
What patients need is treatment, not hashtags, slogans, or spin. We need a clear recovery plan for the NHS with proper accountability and a long-term strategy to train and retain our healthcare workforce.
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