Chadwick Secures Ministerial Meeting on Powys Cross-Border Healthcare Delays

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick has secured a commitment from the UK Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety Preet Kaur Gill to meet and discuss the lengthy delays facing Powys patients accessing treatment in English hospitals.

Speaking during Health Questions in the House of Commons, Mr Chadwick raised concerns about Powys Teaching Health Board's decision to extend waiting times for Powys residents receiving treatment in England, despite many local communities relying on hospitals across the border because Powys has no district general hospital of its own.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat MP warned that the policy has left some patients facing significantly longer waits for treatment, despite the capacity existing to treat them sooner. He argued that patients are being disadvantaged because of where they live and that many residents have been left waiting in pain for operations that could otherwise have gone ahead.

In response, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety Preet Kaur Gill agreed to meet with Mr Chadwick to discuss the issue further.

Mr Chadwick has been campaigning against the policy since it was first proposed and has repeatedly raised concerns that Powys residents are being unfairly disadvantaged compared to patients living just across the border in England.

The MP is now calling for urgent action to ensure patients in Powys receive fair and timely access to treatment, as well as a wider review of funding arrangements for healthcare services in rural border communities.

Commenting after the exchange in Parliament, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said:

"Powys is unique in Wales because we do not have a district general hospital. For many of my constituents, hospitals in Hereford, Shrewsbury and elsewhere in England are not a choice, they are a necessity.

"That is why it is so frustrating that patients have been left waiting longer for treatment, despite capacity existing to treat them sooner. Many people have contacted me after seeing their operations delayed while living with pain, discomfort and uncertainty.

"I welcome the Minister's agreement to meet and discuss these concerns. This is an important opportunity to bring together the UK Government, Welsh Government and Powys Teaching Health Board to find a solution that puts patients first and ends this two-tiered system.

"No patient should face longer waits simply because they live on one side of the border rather than the other. Healthcare should be based on need, not geography.

"I will continue pressing both governments and the health board until Powys patients get the fair treatment and funding they deserve."

ENDS