Welsh Lib Dems demands £10 million to restore cross‑border healthcare

Jane Dodds MS has called on the First Minister to urgently commit £10 million to reinstate previous cross‑border healthcare arrangements, warning that people in Powys are being left in limbo by contradictory messages about their treatment in English hospitals.

Raising the issue in the Senedd today, she highlighted a recent letter from the Wye Valley NHS Trust which makes clear that the current policy “has been operationally and clinically challenging to deliver” and is set to create “additional operational pressures from early Q1 of 2026/27”. The Trust also warned that the gap between English and Welsh waiting times will continue to widen as NHS England moves to meet a target of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks.

She criticised the growing confusion for Powys residents, who face being told different things by surgeons, the Powys Health Board, and the Welsh Government.

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds, said:

“Every person in Powys has the same right to timely, equitable healthcare as anyone else in Wales. Powys’ geography, its rurality, and its lack of a district general hospital do not erase those rights.

“We know from Powys Teaching Health Board that £10 million would be needed to reinstate the previous cross‑border arrangements. That is why I asked the Welsh Government to provide funding so that the people of Powys can finally receive the same standard of care as everyone else.”

The Welsh Liberal Democrats’ Lead Candidate in Gwynedd Maldwyn, Cllr Glyn Preston, said:

“People in Powys shouldn’t be punished because of where they live. Cross‑border treatment isn’t a luxury—it’s essential for our communities. This funding is about fairness, dignity and ensuring that local people can access timely treatment close to home. The Welsh Government must step up.”

Ms Dodds reiterated that with over 25% of Powys patients receiving planned care in England, restoring certainty and equity must be an urgent priority.

ENDS