PATIENTS in Powys say they have been left “high and dry” after a vital outpatient service closed in Oswestry and no replacement arrangements were put in place.

The Chronic Pain Clinic, provided at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, served around 400 patients in Mid and North Wales. It closed in March following a reduction in the number of patients being referred to the hospital.

An internal review found the service was “not robust enough to continue safely” due to staffing levels.

But Powys residents who had used the service say they have been left wondering where their treatment will come from, claiming they have received no communication from Powys Teaching Health Board about their future treatment.

County Councillor and health campaigner Joy Jones held a meeting with hospital bosses after receiving letters from “worried and concerned” patients. “I have had people in touch with me who hadn’t been contacted about the closure of the pain clinic in Oswestry but had found out. They have been left very worried that they wouldn’t know where to get the drugs and treatment they need to continue their daily life,” she said.

“I am hearing far too often from patients that feel like second class citizens and yesterday a patient told me he felt the county’s healthcare was ‘worse than a third world country’.”

Montgomeryshire AM Russell George said he was ‘disappointed’ with the communication issues after he had received correspondence from residents asking him to contact PTHB on their behalf.

“The recent closure of the chronic pain service at the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry was already concerning for hundreds of people in North Powys who relied on this invaluable service.

“This concern has been compounded by the poor communication from Powys Teaching Health Board about the options for future pain management for Powys patients.

“I have been very disappointed to have received correspondence from a significant number of constituents who have reported to me that they have received nothing by way of communications from Powys Teaching Health Board. I have formally written to the CEO, Carol Shillabeer, to express my disappointment.

“Apart from the matter of what appears to be poor communication with concerned patients, I will continue to urge the Health Board to offer a local clinic in Montgomeryshire.”

Powys Teaching Health Board said it was working hard to provide alternative arrangements for patients following the closure of the Oswestry service.

“We are very sorry that some patients are concerned about their continuity of care and communication following the decision by the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH) to close their Chronic Pain Service,” said a spokesperson.

“RJAH took the decision to close their Chronic Pain Service due to the impact of national guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on their previous service. The impact included a reduction in referrals to their service, and as a result the Trust found that their service was too fragile to continue safely.

“Following their decision we have been working hard to put alternative pathways in place for Powys patients, some of whom have complex needs.The majority of patients previously seen by RJAH are now under the care of our own comprehensive multidisciplinary Pain Management Service for people with persistent pain. The interventions offered are based on the latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and seek to be as accessible to the people of Powys as possible.

“The service offers a range of flexible appointment and treatment options for patients including programmes that can be accessed using Skype or in community settings, as well as initial consultations via telephone.

“We already offer clinics in North Powys, and plan to introduce further services. Recruitment is under way to specialist nursing and physiotherapy roles in our pain management team.”

Any patient previously under the care of the RJAH Chronic Pain Service can contact the PTHB Pain Management Service if they remain concerned about their follow-up arrangements.