Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans has criticised Powys Teaching Health Board’s decision to continue the “temporary” reductions in hospital services introduced last year, calling it “a blow to healthcare” in the county.

At a board meeting today (Wednesday), Powys Teaching Health Board members approved the continued implementation of reduced opening hours at the Minor Injury Units (MIUs) in Brecon and Llandrindod Wells. They also agreed that inpatient units in Llanidloes and Bronllys will continue to focus on patients assessed as ready to go home, while units in Newtown and Brecon will remain focused on providing more specialised rehabilitation care.

The decision follows a six-month evaluation and will now be fed into the board’s wider “Better Together” transformation programme, with a formal consultation on the future of the services expected later this year.

MIUs in Brecon and Llandrindod, which previously opened for longer hours, will continue to operate between 8am and 8pm.

In a statement, Mr Evans said: “Today’s decision by Powys Teaching Health Board to extend the temporary closures of our MIUs is a blow to healthcare services here in Powys.”

He added that residents were being left “vulnerable” after 8pm with no MIUs or district nurses available and warned the changes could be “costing lives”.

“I fail to see how the health board’s evaluation found ‘positive impacts’. I hear of people having to travel out of county, considerable distances to access A&E departments, waiting hours and hours, only to be then treated as a second-class citizen because they are ‘out of area’,” said Mr Evans.

“The so-called improvements in service reliability and patient safety quoted by PTHB has only improved because the MIUs are closed.”

The Conservative MS, who has opposed the changes since they were first proposed last year, said financial pressures were being prioritised over patient care.

But in a statement issued after the meeting, the health board said the decision was based on detailed analysis of patient outcomes, safety, and staffing challenges.

Chair of the Health Board, Dr Carl Cooper, said: “This has been a considered decision, grounded in evidence and guided by our commitment to safe, high-quality care.”

Executive Medical Director Dr Kate Wright added: “Our priority is always to provide care that is safe, effective, and compassionate. The evaluation shows that these changes have helped improve patient outcomes and reduce delays in care. We will continue to monitor the impact closely, learning from the experience of patients and staff.”

A series of public engagement events is expected to take place across the county from the autumn as part of the “Better Together” programme, ahead of a permanent decision being made.