What is the Welsh Government's position on the differing waiting time standards Powys residents will face compared to English residents when receiving the same planned treatment at the same English hospital where the treatment is commissioned by Powys Teaching Health Board?
The Welsh Government is committed to ensuring that people in Powys receive timely access to planned care, regardless of whether treatment is provided by a Welsh or English NHS organisation. Our focus is on reducing waiting times, eliminating the longest waits and securing equitable access to care through targeted investment, rigorous performance oversight and collaboration with partner organisations across the border.
It is expected that all patients are to be treated in order of their clinical priority, no matter where they are treated, whether that is in England or Wales. However, all Welsh residents who are treated in English hospitals are subject to Welsh waiting time standards. It is the responsibility of health boards to plan and deliver services to meet the needs of their local populations and achieve national performance targets. Health boards, through their commissioning arrangements, are expected to ensure contracts with NHS England and NHS Wales deliver the same access targets.
The Welsh Government and Powys Teaching Health Board maintain regular discussions regarding planned care performance and cross-border commissioning arrangements. These discussions focus on ensuring patients receive treatment as quickly as possible while operating within the established commissioning framework between NHS Wales and NHS England providers.
This is supported by wider action to reduce waiting times across NHS Wales, including an additional £145 million investment in 2026-27, with funding to reduce waiting times, expand surgical and diagnostic capacity and improve NHS infrastructure, helping to reduce the longest waits and improve access to planned care.