Cross-border NHS waiting lists in Powys soar as two-year waits rise by 370%

New figures obtained by Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick reveal a sharp rise in the number of Powys patients facing lengthy waits for NHS treatment at hospitals across the border in England.

The figures, released by Powys Teaching Health Board following a Freedom of Information request, show:

• Two-year waits at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) in Shropshire have risen by 370% since 2022, from 30 to 141 in 2026.
• The number waiting more than a year at the same hospital has risen by 148%, from 463 to 1,150.
• One-year waits at Wye Valley NHS Trust in Herefordshire have increased by 75%, from 215 to 376.
• Across the three English hospital trusts examined, the number of Powys patient pathways exceeding a year has risen by 56%, from 1,090 in 2022 to 1,705 in 2026.

The figures relate to NHS treatment waiting lists, with each entry representing a patient awaiting a particular course of treatment.

A separate snapshot from June 2026 found that 1,575 Powys patient pathways had been waiting more than a year across the three trusts, including 145 waiting more than two years.

The findings come amid growing controversy over a policy introduced by Powys Teaching Health Board in July 2025, which means Powys patients referred to English hospitals can be made to wait longer than English patients receiving treatment at the same hospitals, even when English hospitals have the capacity to treat them sooner.

Earlier this month, the Welsh Government provided Powys Teaching Health Board with an additional £3.4 million to help reduce cross-border waiting times. However, this falls well short of the more than £10 million in savings the health board has previously said the policy would deliver. Despite the extra funding, the board has given no indication that it intends to scrap the arrangements.

The policy has faced criticism over its impact on patients, with concerns that longer waits could lead to deteriorating health, more complex treatment and additional costs elsewhere in the NHS.

Unlike many other parts of Wales, Powys has no district general hospital, leaving thousands of residents dependent on English hospitals for essential treatment.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for the policy to be scrapped, with David Chadwick repeatedly raising the issue in Parliament and calling on both governments to intervene.

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said:

"These figures are shocking and show just how badly patients in Powys are being let down. To see two-year waits at one hospital rise by 370% in just four years is completely unacceptable.

"Behind these figures are people living in pain, struggling to work or unable to enjoy their retirement while waiting for treatment that could transform their lives.

"What makes this particularly frustrating is that Powys patients can be forced to wait longer simply because they live on the Welsh side of the border. Someone living just a few miles away in England could be treated sooner at exactly the same hospital, despite both previously being treated equally.

"Powys residents have no choice but to rely on hospitals across the border. They should not be punished for where they live."

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd Jane Dodds said:

"The Welsh Government cannot continue to stand by while patients in Powys pay the price for the health board's financial problems.

"Delaying treatment is a false economy. Leaving people waiting risks making their conditions worse and ultimately costing the NHS more in the long run.

"The Welsh Government has provided extra funding, but the health board has shown no willingness so far to reverse this policy. Ministers must now intervene and put the needs of patients ahead of balancing the books."

ENDS