Decision to be made on cuts to minor injury units

Reduced opening hours at the minor injuries unit at Llandrindod Wells War Memorial Hospital formed part of the cost-cutting changes

Temporary changes to a county's community hospitals have been "positive" for cost-cutting aims, a health board has been told, as a decision on whether they will remain in place looms.

The controversial measures at Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) - which included reducing the opening hours of two minor injury units - came into force late last year.

On Wednesday, health board members unanimously agreed to fold the verdict on whether or not to keep the changes into the health board's wider Better Together transformation programme - meaning a permanent decision will be taken later this year.

But in a report, executive medical director Dr Kate Wright recommended the changes remain in place.

In December 2024 opening times at the minor injury unit in Brecon were reduced from being open for 24 hours to 12 hours, from 08:00 until 20:00, while the same opening hours were brought in at Llandrindod Wells site, which was previously open from 07:00 until midnight.

"Workforce utilisation has improved, and expenditure has reduced", while there has been "no use of agency staff and a reduction of using bank staff," said Dr Wright.

"In Brecon the cost per patient has reduced from £69 to £51 and in Llandrindod from £63 to £54."

Dr Wright said the length of patient stay had also reduced by 23% on the Ready To Go Home units, and 7% on the rehabilitation units, compared to the same period in 2023/2024.

She added that "no increased attendances to primary care or emergency departments out of county" had been noted as a result of the changes.

The health board's chairman, Dr Carl Cooper, said he wanted to assure people that postponing the decision on the long-term changes "isn't kicking the can down the road", adding it "didn't make sense" to launch a consultation so close to the Better Together initiative.

"Decisions will be made soon as part of that programme," he added.

The changes, which were made as part of steps taken to address a £23m budget deficit last year, were originally approved by the board last summer, with local people told they were necessary to maintain a quality service and would last a minimum of six months.

But the move received significant backlash, leading to a six-week consultation.

The board then met in October and approved the plans for a second time.