Community invited to question plans that could reshape local hospital services
Residents of Llandrindod Wells and the surrounding area are being urged to attend a public meeting on Thursday 10 September to hear the latest on proposals from Powys Teaching Health Board that could reduce inpatient services across the county.
The meeting will be held at the town Pavilion, with doors open at 6.30pm and the event starting at 7pm. It forms part of a series of sessions organised by county Liberal Democrat councillors to give communities an opportunity to hear directly about the developing plans and to raise questions.
“At the meeting we'll tell you what we can as your county councillors following our briefing from Powys Teaching Health Board earlier that afternoon.”
Health bosses are preparing to publish a Pre-Consultation Business Case for the Better Together programme later this week. The document, which brings together the evidence, analysis and options developed to date, will be included in papers for the Powys Teaching Health Board meeting in public on Wednesday 16 September 2026.
What is at stake for local communities
While no final decisions have been taken, the proposals under discussion include an option that would centralise inpatient beds in just two community hospitals in Powys — Newtown and Brecon — and remove inpatient wards from other community hospitals around the county. Campaigners and some councillors view the change as tantamount to hospital closures 'in all but name', arguing it would reduce local access to inpatient care and could place additional strain on social care in rural areas.
The Liberal Democrat group running the county-wide campaign has already held meetings in Builth Wells, Llanidloes and Ystradgynlais, with hundreds attending to learn more and make their views known. The Llandrindod Wells session is the latest chance for residents to hear directly from their county councillors following a briefing from the health board.
- Event: Public meeting on Powys hospital proposals
- Date & time: Thursday 10 September — doors 6.30pm, meeting 7pm
- Venue: The Pavilion, Llandrindod Wells
- Key forthcoming document: Pre-Consultation Business Case to be published for the board meeting on 16 September 2026
What the business case will do
The health board says the Pre-Consultation Business Case will set out the evidence, analysis and options developed through the Better Together programme so far. The board's public meeting on 16 September will consider whether the proposals are sufficiently developed and evidenced to proceed to formal public consultation.
For residents of Llandrindod Wells, the immediate priority is to scrutinise the information presented, ask questions about the impact on travel, access to services and the capacity of remaining hospitals, and to ensure their concerns are recorded before any formal consultation begins.
Local councillors have framed the series of meetings as an opportunity for communities to discuss how they might respond if proposals move forward. The Liberal Democrats have positioned their campaign as a channel for local voices to be heard and for practical concerns about rural health access to be raised directly with decision-makers.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local meeting | Pavilion, Llandrindod Wells — 10 Sept, doors 6.30pm, start 7pm |
| Board papers published | Pre-Consultation Business Case included for 16 Sept Powys Teaching Health Board meeting |
| Possible change | Option to centralise inpatient beds at Newtown and Brecon, removing them from other community hospitals |
As the date for the board meeting approaches, this week’s local session offers residents of Llandrindod Wells a practical forum to raise questions and to hear what their county councillors can share following their direct briefing from Powys Teaching Health Board.
Local people are encouraged to attend the Pavilion meeting if they wish to make their views known before the forthcoming board meeting decides whether to progress proposals to formal consultation.
Reporting from the town, the public meeting will be an early test of how communities in central Powys wish to shape the future of local inpatient services.
