NHS at financial 'crossroads' - Wales Audit Office

Unless there is a fundamental change in the NHS in Wales, health boards across the country will continue to overspend on their budgets, according to the Wales Audit Office (WAO).

Its annual report on the state of the finances of the Welsh NHS found the Welsh government's department of health and social services broke even in the last financial year, but that three NHS health boards - Cardiff and the Vale, Hywel Dda and Powys - failed to break even.

It also suggested that many key targets, such as waiting times for planned and emergency services, were not regularly achieved.

Geraint Norman, audit manager at the WAO and the lead author of the report, said the NHS faced rising demand, a sick population but health boards set over-ambitious savings plans.

He told BBC Radio Wales' Oliver Hides the health service needs to take stock and take a longer term view.