The demand for orthopaedic services has grown

The funds were pledged by the Health Minister, Jane Hutt, eight months ago.

Ms Hutt said they would target the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport and Llandough hospital in Cardiff.

But the Welsh assembly's capital board said at a meeting on Tuesday night that it wanted to see more reports before the grant was released.

Assembly officials have stressed that proposals of this nature need careful consideration, and insisted that there has been no delay.

Excessive

The Health Minister said in February that the money would go to the Gwent Health Authority, which has excessive waiting times for orthopaedic services, which include hip replacements, knee joints and back surgery.

Health expert Professor Brian Edwards, from Sheffield University, was brought in by Ms Hutt to try and solve the problem.

His report into Gwent Orthopaedic Services in January called for increased bed capacity after finding waiting times at the Royal Gwent Hospital, in Newport, were among the longest in the UK - although the hospital is now meeting its targets.

As a result, Ms Hutt then announced that a further �10m would be spent tackling the problem.

"Early action will go some way to alleviate the current pressures, but there is still much work to be done across Wales," she said.

"I have delivered on the capacity issue today, but this must be backed up by the other recommendations."

In a statement on Wednesday, the Royal Gwent NHS Trust said: "We have been working very closely with the assembly throughout the business planning processes following the Prof Edwards report.