Councillor warns hospital cuts could increase council tax burden

Proposed changes to hospital services in Newtown and Welshpool could transfer costs from the NHS to Powys County Council, a councillor has warned.

A Powys councillor has called for an assessment of the financial impact of proposed changes to community hospitals, warning that savings made by the health board could lead to increased pressure on council services and taxpayers.

Welshpool councillor Graham Breeze has written to Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Cllr Pete Roberts, urging the authority to take a stronger role in challenging Powys Teaching Health Board's proposals.

The intervention comes amid continuing opposition to the health board's Better Together programme, which could see hospital beds and other services concentrated in fewer locations, including Newtown.

Cllr Breeze, who represents Welshpool's Llanerchyddol ward, argues that reducing hospital provision could create additional demand for council-funded social care, particularly for patients who require support after leaving hospital.

He said: "If PTHB removes community hospital beds and withdraws X-ray and Minor Injuries services, the need for healthcare will not simply disappear."

He warned that some of the pressure could be transferred to the council through increased demand for home care, residential care and support for vulnerable residents.

"Those costs would then have to be met from council taxpayers' money, increased council tax levels, absorbed within existing budgets or offset by cuts to other local authority services," he said.

"In effect, a saving for the Health Board could become an additional financial burden for the Council - simply a transfer of costs from one public body to another."

The proposals would have different consequences for Newtown and Welshpool.

Both options being considered by the health board would retain inpatient beds in Newtown, increasing provision from the current 15 beds at Brynheulog Ward to 30.

Newtown would also gain an enhanced Urgent Care Centre operating from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, supported by X-ray facilities and additional diagnostic services.

However, the expansion would come alongside a reduction in hospital beds across Powys, from the current 146 to either 90 or 60, depending on which option is adopted.

Both options would remove physical-health inpatient beds from Welshpool and Llanidloes, while Welshpool's Minor Injuries Unit and X-ray services would transfer to Newtown.

For Newtown, the proposals could mean more services being provided locally, although the town's hospital would also serve patients from a wider area.

For Welshpool and surrounding communities, the concern is that patients would have to travel further for treatment and rehabilitation.

The health board argues that changes are needed because of increasing demand, staffing difficulties and financial pressures. It wants to provide more care in people's homes and communities while concentrating some specialist services in fewer locations.

It has stressed that no decisions have been made and that there are no proposals to close any community hospital sites.

The latest intervention from Cllr Breeze follows a community meeting in Welshpool on Thursday when residents voted overwhelmingly against the proposed changes to their hospital.

The meeting at Welshpool Town Hall, convened by Mayor Cllr Revd William Rowell, attracted 172 people, including 101 eligible local government electors.

Following a debate involving residents, healthcare professionals and political representatives, 93 electors voted against the removal of inpatient beds from Victoria Memorial Hospital, with just one supporting the proposal.

A separate vote on the proposed removal of the Minor Injuries Unit and X-ray services saw 92 oppose the changes, one vote in favour and one blank or rejected ballot.

A further 93 electors supported a call for the Welsh Government and Senedd to halt and review the Better Together programme, with one voting against.

Concerns raised during the meeting included longer journeys for patients, pressure on neighbouring hospitals, the impact on social care and access to healthcare in rural communities.

Although the votes are not binding on the health board and represent only those eligible electors who participated, they provide a further indication of opposition in Welshpool.

There has also been opposition elsewhere in north Powys, including Llanidloes, while Newtown Town Council is due to consider on Monday whether to establish a working group to prepare its own response to the consultation.

The financial implications raised by Cllr Breeze have also been discussed by Powys County Council.

At its meeting on October 8, all 53 councillors voting supported a motion opposing reductions in hospital beds and services under the Better Together proposals.

The motion was brought forward by Newtown East councillor Joy Jones and seconded by Cllr Breeze.

During that debate, Cllr Roberts raised concerns about the impact on adult social care if the proposed expansion of home-based healthcare could not be adequately staffed.

He questioned where additional care workers would come from and who would meet the costs if council services were required to provide further support.

Cllr Breeze has now written directly to him, arguing that the council should demand a full financial assessment before any changes are implemented.

"We must not allow PTHB to balance its books at the expense of local government and, ultimately, our residents," he said.

He wants the health board to explain what savings it expects to make, identify any additional costs that could fall on the council and demonstrate how the overall financial impact has been calculated.

"Our residents deserve to know whether these proposals represent a genuine saving for the public purse or merely a transfer of costs that will place further pressure on local services and council taxpayers," he said.

However, his letter does not provide a financial estimate of the additional costs that might fall on the council, and it remains unclear whether the proposed changes would result in an overall saving or additional expenditure across the NHS and local government combined.

The health board's proposals are intended to strengthen community-based care and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, but their success would depend in part on the availability of sufficient staff and support services.

The question for both organisations is whether the proposed model can deliver those improvements without increasing pressure on already stretched social care services.

The Better Together consultation remains open until January 10, 2027, with the health board expected to consider the findings no earlier than spring 2027.

Residents can view the proposals and submit their views at https://pthb.nhs.wales/BetterTogether