Powys MS raises NHS funding concerns during Senedd debate

A debate in the Senedd about healthcare in rural Wales has highlighted concerns about NHS funding and access to services in Powys.

Montgomeryshire Member of the Senedd, Russell George, raised the issues during a short debate on delivering fair healthcare across Wales, arguing that rural communities face particular challenges when accessing treatment.

Mr George told the Senedd that Powys Teaching Health Board had received a small share of funding from a £120 million Welsh Government allocation aimed at reducing waiting lists.

He said Powys received £115,000 from the fund, compared with £20 million for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

Mr George argued that if the funding had been distributed on a population basis Powys would have received around £5 million.

He told the Senedd: “Everyone, regardless of where they live, deserves fair access when it comes to health services.”

Mr George also highlighted concerns about the distance many Powys residents must travel for treatment, noting that the county does not have a district general hospital and relies heavily on services in other areas.

“Services are continually moving further away from Powys patients,” he said, citing the relocation of the Welshpool Air Ambulance base to Denbigh and changes to stroke services in west Wales.

He also raised issues affecting primary care, including pressures on rural GP practices and access to NHS dentistry.

Mr George referred to the announcement that the last dental practice in Welshpool will stop offering NHS appointments from April, and said it was already difficult for residents in towns such as Newtown to secure NHS dental care.

During the debate he also mentioned plans for a new hospital and health hub in Newtown, which is intended to serve communities across north Powys.

Mr George said he supported the development but believed it could have been more ambitious.

“There’s a proposed new hospital and health hub in Newtown, which I fully support, although I would have liked those plans to be more ambitious,” he said.

Responding to the debate, Welsh Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said the Welsh Government was committed to providing fair access to healthcare across Wales.

Mr Miles said the £120 million funding had been allocated to health boards delivering the highest volumes of hospital treatment as part of efforts to reduce waiting lists.

“The decisions on the allocation of £120 million this year were focused on the areas of greatest backlog,” he said.

Mr Miles said Powys residents had benefited from the funding because many patients from the county receive treatment from health boards elsewhere in Wales or in England.

He also highlighted investment in healthcare services within Powys, including the proposed integrated health and wellbeing hub in Newtown.

Mr Miles told the Senedd that just over £2.8 million had recently been approved to develop the project’s full business case, following £970,000 previously allocated for the outline business case.

The hub is expected to bring together health, care and third sector services in one location to provide more support within the community.

The debate comes as concerns about healthcare access in the county continue to be raised locally, with Powys County Council recently declaring a health emergency over the state of healthcare provision in the area.