“How many other Powys people are suffering in silence,” asked a Llandrindod Wells woman who has to wait another 45 weeks for hip surgery after already enduring 59 week-wait

“How many other Powys people are suffering in silence,” a Llandrindod Wells woman who has to wait another 45 weeks for hip surgery after already enduring 59 week-wait, has asked.

Melanie Wallace has been waiting for an operation since last year but on June 30 she was told she would have to wait another 45 weeks - after Powys Teaching Health Board increased waiting times for Powys residents in English hospitals.

The move, which officially came in on July 1, is designed to bring their budget down by over £20 million next year.

Calls for the Welsh Government to step in and stop the move by politicians and local campaigners and a petition, were unsuccessful.

Since July 1 inpatients and day cases have received planned care treatment in hospitals in Hereford, Shrewsbury and Telford and Oswestry based on the NHS Wales waiting time measures – which are slower than England’s.

Mel feels angry about the long delay, the lack of communication and transparency and she is concerned about how many other people are also ‘suffering in silence’.

The 59 year-old of Howey, is more frustrated because she went through  pre-operation tests and was given an operation date of May 28 2025.

But she had already told Hereford Hospital she could not do that date because of a pre-arranged work induction for a new job.

Mel said; “I had a pre-op and was ready to have the operation, I did not know that the policy had changed and Powys patients would have to wait longer for treatment and I was not told that by the hospital when I spoke to them on April 22 2025.

“If I had known I could have made a fully informed decision and I would have put my health first, but I did not know that I had to make that choice and I can’t be the only one that did not know. 

“I have just put myself on a year’s hold again. I feel robbed of that chance to have the operation.”

Mel only moved to Powys in 2021 and had previously lived in Herefordshire.

“If I was still living in Hereford I would have had the operation done this Spring, I feel totally discriminated against because I came to live in Wales.

“It is a postcode lottery and it is not right and we should not be putting up with it. 

“Since I have spoken about my situation on social media, so many people have posted their stories and some of them are horrific, a lot worse than me. How can they treat people like this and get away with it.

“I just want to raise awareness of this policy change, because there must be people who don’t know and are just waiting for appointments. We should not be putting up with it.

“It makes you feel like you are not important, you are not valued and you are just a number.”

Mel said although she is still working she is in daily pain, struggles to get a full night sleep, she cannot exercise nor ride the motorbike she longed for and worked hard to pass her test on.

“Its little things like being able to put your socks on without thinking about it, climbing steps or a hill is uncomfortable and I worry that in another year I will have other health issues. I may not be able to drive by then because getting in and out of the car is becoming a problem.”

The whole situation has been a fiasco said Mel, who was forced to leave her previous job in December 2023 because of pain in her right hip.

She was referred to a consultant at Llandrindod Wells Hospital but after months she was told no consultant was assigned to that hospital.

Referred to Hereford Hospital, she was seen there in May 2024. She had a pre-op on March 17 2025 and was given an operation date of May 28, even though she had previously told the hospital she could not do that week.

On June 30, she was told by Hereford Hospital, that Powys Teaching Health Board’s policy has changed and she will now have to wait until she had been on the list for 104 weeks – another 45 weeks. The policy only officially came into effect on July 1.

Mel has written to the health board, Welsh health Minister Jeremy Miles, Llais – the public’s voice on healthcare, Brecon and Radnorshire Senedd Member James Evans and Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick. 

She has received acknowledgements but is waiting for a written explanation of why she was not informed of the policy change, clarification on why patients have not been notified of the 104 week rule and how it will affect existing referrals, a reassessment of her case based on its clinical urgency, employment situation, and the ongoing deterioration of my physical and mental health and details of how to escalate her complaint further, including to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Mel said; “This situation is affecting many others like me, and the current system lacks transparency, fairness, and compassion. The care and communication for people in my position are simply not acceptable. I am not going to give up fighting on this, its too important for so many people.”

A spokesperson for Powys Teaching Health Board said: “From the beginning of July 2025, wherever you live in Powys you will receive planned care treatments (inpatients and daycases) based on the NHS Wales waiting time measures. 

“Prior to July 2025, all planned care in Wales was delivered based on NHS Wales waiting time measures, and all planned care in England was delivered based on NHS England waiting time measures.

“This change will NOT include cancer referrals, urgent and emergency referrals, appointments for people under 18, people resident outside Powys (including if you are registered with a Powys GP)and follow up appointments and your ongoing care for long term conditions (e.g. diabetes)

“This change will NOT currently include planned care outpatients (new or follow up), although this is being kept under review.

“If you already have a date for your appointment or procedure, then this is not affected. Please attend your appointment as normal.

“If you are already on the waiting list you do not need to take any action. You will remain on the waiting list and the hospital will contact you to arrange your appointment. There is no need to contact your hospital provider or your GP practice to ask for an update on when your appointment will take place, or to expedite your appointment unless your symptoms have significantly changed.

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly, and it reflects the way we are funded. We must take action to live within our means, or we will build up bigger financial difficulties for the future.”

Brecon and Radnorshire Senedd Member James Evans MS said: “We have warned of the consequences of Powys Health Board’s policy to delay treatment because of their budget deficit.  Spreadsheets and finances are coming before patient health.  This is wrong to make patients wait when there is the capacity to treat earlier in English Hospital settings”. 

“It does not surprise me to learn that this person was not aware of this policy. Many are still not.  I have asked for PTHB to undertake a series of public meetings on this, but to date they have declined. I hear repeatedly from constituents who have had operations cancelled, appointments pushed back in English hospitals, and they are all unsure whether these are being delayed because of PTHB policy, or just due to other factors.  It is increasing the uncertainty and anxiety of many patients, worried that their waiting times for operations have increased significantly because of the Health Board policy.

“I have raised concerns with this repeatedly in the Senedd, and urged Welsh Government to intervene and stop this.  They seem content to sit back and let PTHB put finances over patients.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said:“This is truly an atrocious situation being forced on local residents by the Health Board and Welsh Government and is exactly what we warned against and why the Liberal Democrats strongly opposed these proposals.

“At a time when we should be reducing waiting lists, the Welsh Government and Powys Teaching Health Board are artificially dragging down Powys treatment times to the lowest denominator; it's despicable.

“The Welsh Labour Government has repeatedly tried to wash its hands of this issue, yet it is a direct consequence of its underfunding of Powys Health Board. The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to call on both the Health Board and Welsh Government to stop this madness and immediately axe this policy.”

The Welsh Government was asked to respond.