Montgomeryshire MS Russell George has asked that part of a £180m health uplift should be directed specifically to Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) to ensure that Powys patients who are waiting for treatment in England, wait no longer than English patients.

Mr George pressed First Minister Eluned Morgan MS in First Minister’s Questions on January 13 to act on what he described as a “completely unacceptable” situation where Powys patients are being made to wait far longer than English patients when waiting for treatment in the same hospitals, despite capacity to treat then being available

In the Senedd, Mr George reminded the First Minister that PTHB had asked English provider trusts in England, to slow down treatment for Powys patients, due to financial constraints - a position the health board said it had to undertake so it could live within the financial expectations set by the Welsh Government.

Responding, Baroness Morgan said people in rural areas deserve the same quality of care and highlighted increased NHS funding,

She also claimed an average treatment wait in Wales of 19 weeks and a 90 per cent reduction in two-year waits since the peak, adding that the £180m health and social care spending uplift will be distributed across all health boards.

Speaking after the exchange, Mr George said: “Powys patients are waiting many more months for treatment than English patients, when waiting for treatment in the very same hospitals.

“That is indefensible.

“A targeted allocation to Powys would let the health board buy extra available capacity in England, so all Powys patients could be seen based on the quicker English waiting-time standards to end this two-tier system.”

Mr George has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Miles seeking written confirmation of a ring-fenced allocation of the additional health spend to be provided to PTHB.