Two more Powys town councils write to Wales’s First Minister amid launch of petition demanding better health services

Llandrindod Wells Town Council contacted all 109 town and community councils in Powys asking them to write to the Government.

The move came after waiting times for Powys patients at English hospitals were extended.

Powys patients have had to wait longer for operations at hospitals in Hereford, Shrewsbury, Telford and Oswestry since Powys Teaching Health Board’s change in policy was implemented on July 1 as the health board aims to cut its deficit.

Llandrindod council urged all councils to write to Eluned Morgan to demand better health services for the area and to re-look at the funding formula for cross-border health care.

At the September town council meeting, Llandrindod Wells Town Council said it had heard from several town councils who confirmed they had taken this action and they had also written a strongly worded letter on behalf of its residents.

Llandrindod Wells Mayor Councillor Steve Deeks-D’Silva said the current funding formula for cross-border healthcare is ‘fundamentally flawed’.

“The rurality of Powys must be properly recognised in healthcare planning and funding. Ours is a county stretching over 110 miles with the nearest A and E and major treatment hospitals often 40 miles or more away. This leaves residents especially vulnerable in emergencies.”

He called for investment and upgrading of Llandrindod Wells Hospital, immediate steps to reduce ambulance waiting times and a review of proposals to withdraw the air ambulance service

Knighton Town Council had already called on the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Welsh Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to intervene in the financial situation at Powys Teaching Health Board.

The motion was proposed at the July full council meeting by Councillor Bob Andrews and it was seconded by Deputy Mayor Councillor Tina Sharp. It was agreed unanimously by the council.

But following receipt of the letter from Llandrindod Wells Town Council, Knighton Town Council also agreed at its September meeting to send the same letter to Wales First Minister.

Powys County Council’s Chairman has also joined the fight, writing to Wales First Minister after a debate and vote at County Hall recently.

Councillor William Powell has called on Eluned Morgan to intervene and to provide funding support to PTHB to address the challenges of cross-border healthcare commissioning and ensure equitable access to timely care for Powys residents.

He said the council had opposed the discriminatory waiting time disparities and advocate for equitable treatment for Powys patients attending English hospitals after a motion was proposed by Councillor Beverley Baynham (Independent, Presteigne) and seconded by Councillor Joy Jones (Newtown East.)

He said the council also ‘demands systemic changes in healthcare policies that ensure all patients, regardless of residency, receive fair and timely treatment’ and to 

‘mobilise collective community support to raise awareness of these issues and challenge practices that compromise patient well-being and economic stability.’

Councillor Powell said: “The Chair and Members of Powys County Council await with interest the First Minister's response.”

Previously there was no difference in how patients were treated but, since 1 July, the health board has asked that any planned treatment for its patients at hospitals in England are based on average NHS Wales waiting times.

Almost 40% of Powys Teaching Health Board's (PTHB) budget is spent on services outside its own borders - it does not have its own district general hospital.

With shorter waiting times in England, the Powys health board could not afford to pay the bills due to the speed the operations and other planned care like cataract surgery and diagnostic tests were being carried out.

According to PTHB’s  annual plan, applying NHS Wales waiting times would save £16.4m - the Welsh government has said it must save at least £26m and has intervened in the health board's finances, strategy and planning to address serious concerns.

Meanwhile, Powys County Councillor Joy Jones has started a petition calling on Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health, and First Minister Eluned Morgan to come to Powys to meet directly with the public they represent and hear first-hand the devastating impact of our overburdened healthcare system

Joy said: “There is a severe shortage of local healthcare. Cuts to hospital services are ongoing. Some towns urgently need more GPs. NHS dentistry is almost non-existent in parts of Powys. Access to appointments and healthcare must be easier and fairer.

“Waiting times for planned treatment have doubled, leaving people in pain, unable to work, and facing long-term hardship.  

“Families are being forced to become carers, often without adequate support.

“NHS dentistry is virtually unavailable in some areas of Powys. People are resorting to pulling their own teeth or going without care.

“Out-of-hours services for both GPs and dentists are inadequate or unavailable.

“GP shortages must be addressed.

“Hospitals (including Bronglais) and other vital services are being moved further away, putting lives at risk—especially with proposed changes to stroke services.

“Local hospital minor injuries departments have faced cuts.

“This crisis is not just medical—it’s social, economic, and deeply personal. People are losing their health, their livelihoods, and their dignity. The Welsh Government’s failure to ensure parity with England—where most Powys patients receive care—is leaving Powys residents feeling like second-class citizens.

“We demand that Jeremy Miles MS and First Minister Eluned Morgan visit Powys in person, meet with residents, and take responsibility for addressing this crisis. These invitations have been extended multiple times—and ignored. Blaming the Health Board is not enough. Leadership, as elected politicians, means listening—and acting.

“This petition is our collective voice. We are not statistics. We are families, carers, patients, and citizens who deserve better. We will not be sidelined. We will not be silenced.”

The petition can be reached at https://www.change.org/p/powys-healthcare-crisis-call-jeremy-miles-eluned-morgan-to-listen

Powys Teaching Health board chief executive Hayley Thomas said people in Powys "should be treated in the same timeframe as residents of anywhere else in Wales".

She added: "We understand that the changes we have made to the way we commission planned care services will be frustrating and disappointing for patients and their families.

"It is vital that we live within our means. We cannot continue to spend money we do not have to offer faster access care to some parts of the county.

"Instead, we need to take a fairer approach that protects essential services for everyone."

The Welsh government said it remained "committed to reducing waiting times and ensuring everyone in Wales - including those in Powys - has equitable and timely access to treatment".