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Update on Waiting Times: Further work to be undertaken before final decision on actions to improve PTHB financial position

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No changes have currently been made to waiting times for referrals to hospitals in England.

All patients are advised to continue to attend appointments as normal.

We kindly ask that you do not contact, the health board your hospital provider or your GP practice to ask for an update on when your appointment will take place or to expedite your appointment unless your symptoms have significantly changed. You will remain on the waiting list and the hospital will contact you to arrange your appointment.

At a meeting of the health board on 10 January it was agreed that further work was needed to consider this sensitive issue. Updated options are due to be considered at a further meeting of the Board. We will publicise the date once this is confirmed.

If you are currently on a waiting list, the Waiting Well section of our website provides useful guidance and top tips:

For example, Add To Your Life is an online, personal health assessment that provides you with lots of valuable, tailored information developed to help you get the best from your NHS treatment. Taking action now to improve your physical health and mental wellbeing will not only reduce the risk of any complications during your treatment, but it will also benefit your recovery and long-term health, getting you feeling better sooner. To complete your health assessment today, visit the Add To Your Life website.

Further information about the discussions at the Board Meeting on 10 January 2025 and the next steps are available below.

An update from Dr Carl Cooper, Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board, on further work to be undertaken before final decision on actions to improve PTHB financial position

A meeting of Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) took place on Friday 10 January 2025 to consider additional measures to improve this year’s financial position. 

As a health board our first and foremost priority is to ensure the best possible health and healthcare for the people of Powys. But, approaching the end of 2024/25, the financial climate for the NHS across the UK remains very challenging. This is reflected in our own financial position here in Powys. 

At our meeting, the Board gave very careful consideration to a number of additional measures that could be taken before the end of March 2025. These include asking hospital providers in England to slow down the delivery of planned care activity including outpatient appointments and inpatient procedures. 

This is a highly sensitive issue and was subject to robust and rigorous discussion by Board members. These discussions acknowledged the very real impact on patients who are waiting for a planned procedure – particularly given the considerable rise in waiting times since the start of the COVID pandemic – but also the very significant consequences if we do not take further action to improve the financial position of the health board. 

Recognising the impact and potential consequences, the Board endorsed that further discussions should take place with providers of planned care services in England in order to further develop the assessment of potential savings and finalise the integrated impact assessment. 

A final decision will be made by the Board in public at a future date. When this meeting of the Board is arranged we will ensure that details are communicated through our normal channels. 

All patients are advised to continue to attend appointments as normal, pending further discussions at a future Board meeting. 

The Board meeting also received an update on a number of other financial measures which are already under way. These include a recruitment freeze and tighter controls on expenditure on agency staff. 

Dr Carl Cooper, Chair, Powys Teaching Health Board  

 

Notes: 

  • A recording of the meeting will be available from the website shortly. 

The date and time of an additional meeting to discuss the Powys Teaching Health Board financial position will be confirmed as soon as possible, and will be published on our website: Board Meetings - Powys Teaching Health Board 
 

Released: 10/01/2025