THE Welsh Government has played down Welsh Conservative claims that Betsi Cadwaladr will receive additional funding aimed at cutting waiting times for orthopaedic surgery.

Aberconwy AM Janet Finch-Saunders had announced she had been told that Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board would be getting funding of over £11m as the health board battles against a major increase in waiting times for orthopaedic patients to receive surgery.

But a Welsh Government spokesperson insisted the additional funding had been announced in December last year as part of extra money for all health boards to protect scheduled care during the busy winter period, and was not specifically to combat Betsi Cadwaladr’s problems with orthopaedic waiting times.

While Ms Finch-Saunders had quizzed Cabinet Health Secretary Vaughan Gething and First Minister Carwyn Jones about the orthopaedic problems, she said more information was needed about how the money would be spent.

But a Welsh Government spokesperson said the additional funding had been announced in December and had been provided to help health boards cope with winter pressures while ensuring that many scheduled operations did not need to be cancelled.

They said: “There is no ambiguity. This funding is part of an extra £50m we announced at the end of last year for health boards to sustain performance and meet the increased demand on services going into the winter period."

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