THE Welsh NHS is “teetering on the brink of financial abyss” and will not be bailed out by the Welsh Government, the shadow health secretary has warned.

The warning follows news that four of Wales’ seven health boards – including Hywel Dda University Health Board - are due to see their overall budget deficits triple in size.

South Pembrokeshire AM and shadow health secretary, Angela Burns AM, said: “These soaring deficits show a health service teetering on the brink of financial abyss.

“Failures by the Welsh Labour Government to initiate long-term planning measures for health boards and to break the culture of waste and inefficiency have all played their part in the mess our NHS now finds itself in.

“There is a real risk that health boards will soon be forced to cut vital services in order to make savings, and it’s patients and staff who will be left paying the price.

“To avoid any further damage to services and public confidence in them, the Cabinet Secretary needs to instigate swift root-and-branch reforms of the health service focused on better planning, smarter spending and stronger public health messaging.”

Hywel Dda’s overspend is forecast to be £49.915million for 2016/17.

The BBC has reported that the total budget deficit for Hywel Dda, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, Betsi Cadwaladr and Cardiff and Vale Board is £151million.

The level of scrutiny from ministers was increased last September, Hywel Dda, along with three other health boards, due to concerns about tackling financial challenges.

Stephen Foster, Interim Director of Finance at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “This is not the financial situation that we would want to find ourselves in and we are putting together significant plans to turn it around.

“The health board will always prioritise quality and safety, but we are also having to manage that with the financial resources we have available.

“All health organisations across the UK are facing significant financial challenges but to run four hospitals in rural locations, working together to provide a single integrated service to our population, does provide us with a unique challenge financially.

“We are looking to the future to put together long term options for our services, and are transforming current services so that they are more fit for the needs of our rural population through our clinical services strategy, which we will design with our staff and public over the next year.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "The position in these four health boards is unacceptable, and we have made it clear that we expect them to take action to significantly improve their financial position."

She said ministers will not approve financial plans "that do not deliver such improvements".

"Individual organisations who exceed their allocated resources, have not - and will not - be bailed out.

“The government is working alongside all organisations to improve their respective positions" and that the "overall health budget will be balanced for the 2016-17 financial year.”