Plans to extend the time patients wait for treatment in English hospitals in order to save money for Powys Teaching Health Board has been revived.

The proposal, which was scrapped earlier this year following public outcry, was reconsidered at a meeting on Wednesday, 26 March.

The board approved the plan which will see Welsh patients held in English hospitals for longer periods, aligning with NHS Wales’s slower performance targets rather than the typically faster standards in England.

The move comes as the health board grapples with severe financial pressures, facing a £15.8 million budget deficit for 2024/25, which could rise to £35.6 million without exceptional Welsh Government funding.

During his questioning of the First Minister, Russell George directly challenged the fairness of the decision.

He highlighted the “absurdity” of Powys patients being treated by the same health professionals in English hospitals but being forced to wait months longer simply due to their residency.

Mr George pressed the First Minister to intervene, asking the Welsh Government if they will be funding the £16 million funding gap required to ensure Welsh patients are treated according to English waiting times targets.

The First Minister stopped short of committing to provide additional funding, but said the Health Secretary would investigate the matter further.

Mr George said: “Asking health providers in England to slow down the delivery of care for Welsh patients, despite there being sufficient capacity, is both unjust and indefensible.

“The Welsh Government must urgently commit to closing the £16 million funding gap so that Powys patients are treated based on English performance time targets.

“Following the First Minister confirming to me that the health secretary will be making further investigations into how they've come to this decision; and whilst we await this outcome, I will be keeping up the pressure on the Welsh Government to ensure that these plans are dropped.’’