Welsh Patients Might Experience Longer Wait Times for Care in England

An English NHS is able to support a Welsh regional authority located in the country that may lead to the postponement of care of its residents but maybe also can be beneficial to decrease expenditure. It is foreseen that the waiting times for some patients in Powys can further drag on for 11 or more weeks, as some of them get the NHS England medical service, which, consequently, is nearly situated at the border between the two countries.


The Powys Teaching Health Board shared a comment that in case of such an event, they would not violate the criteria of NHS Wales waiting times, and in this matter, a necessity for "exceptional action to meet the savings" would emerge. The Welsh administration is eager to accommodate patients within 104 weeks even though a longer duration of their illness occurs.However, October saw a significant rise in this instance in Wales, and for the very first time, more than 800,000 people subscribed. A technological solution like the Telemedicine Network and additional treatment from England will be the outcomes of the conversation that has had more cooperation across the border since October, which the Welsh government plans to introduce.


These cross-border services concentrate on Powys patients and consist mostly of Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital and Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust and Wye Valley NHS Trust. However, the health board of Powys is in talks with NHS England to implement delays that would imply a £10m saving.


Therefore, people who went to the hospitals in England may wait much longer because the treatment could be halted on purpose. Paralyzing, freezing recruitment and agency spending are other problems that may occur. At the same time, that would increase the waiting time for treatment, but also the problems yet to be solved would also include the county Powys, whose call for freezing recruitment and agency spending has been made.


Marina Bowles, a blind resident of Rhayader who also has arthritis, said that. Marina is the person who had to go for a visit to an England hospital, as it is the only one to have the treatment she needs. "I'm sorry to say that, but when I needed the operation, I waited for my turn for more than one year. The prospects regarding innovations, which are anticipated to have the waiting list increased for people in chronic pain like me, are even worse."


Obviously, Powys has a bigger and more aging population than the average for all of Wales. With the increasing number of elderly citizens, the demand for nursing and care services is growing as well, while the costs are also going up. Like what the Welsh government pursues, Dr. Michel Cuomo, the spokesman for the Powys Teaching Health Board, declaratively states, "An uncommon vision is expected to deliver an extra £9.9m in savings, consequently allowing us to hit on the same target as the Welsh government set first of all." The board also proclaimed that the detected reviews of changes could be brought up at a public meeting that is to be happening on Friday.