A Powys councillor has challenged claims that health board staff broadly support proposed changes to healthcare services in the county, calling for evidence of how workers were consulted.

Independent councillor Graham Breeze, whose Llanerchydol ward includes Welshpool Hospital, questioned comments made by Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) independent board member and Unison branch secretary Cathie Poynton at a meeting on September 16.

“In the main, the staff are with the change and know it needs to be made,” she said.

But Cllr Breeze said he had yet to speak to a member of staff who supported the proposals, which could see inpatient beds, X-ray services and minor injuries units removed from community hospitals across Powys.

“I have yet to speak to a single member of staff who supports these proposals,” he said.

“In fact, every member of staff I have spoken to is deeply concerned about what these changes could mean for patients, families and the future of healthcare provision in north Powys.”

Cllr Breeze said there was a difference between recognising the need for healthcare services to evolve and supporting the loss of local services.

"There is a significant difference between agreeing that healthcare services must evolve and supporting the closure or removal of local services,” he said.

“Staff may well recognise the pressures facing the Health Board, but that should not be interpreted as support for losing beds and services that local communities rely upon.”

He called for the health board to publish evidence supporting Ms Poynton’s comments, including the questions asked and results of any staff surveys.

“These are the most far-reaching healthcare proposals Powys has seen for a generation,” he said.

“The public deserves to know whether the claim that staff support the changes is based on robust evidence or simply an interpretation of a limited number of conversations.

"Before anyone speaks on behalf of the workforce, local people will want to know exactly how many staff were asked, or was it just a chat in a hospital corridor?”

The consultation on the health board’s proposals will run until January 10, 2027. It includes options that would reduce the number of community hospital inpatient beds across the county.