James Evans MS has questioned the First Minister on why Welsh NHS patients are not being referred to alternative locations around Wales or England in order to ease waiting lists.
NHS England currently operates a system where if patients have been waiting a certain amount of time for an appointment or treatment, they will offer patients the option to go to other health boards in England that have capacity to get it done in a quicker time.
James highlighted the long waiting list for orthopaedic treatment in Hereford Hospital and their initiative to offer patients alternative locations where the wait would be reduced in an attempt to get waiting lists down. He went on to question Eluned Morgan MS on whether this is something the Welsh Government would look to doing.
The First Minister responded by saying it’s important to maximise and see an efficient NHS service in Wales first before needing to go over the border.
James Evans MS said:
“With over 23,000 patients currently waiting for an appointment or treatment for more than two years across Wales compared to England where it’s 107, it’s about time the Welsh Government looked towards offering patients in Wales the opportunity to cross the border into England to get the treatment they need in a reasonable time.
“The Welsh NHS need to end the postcode lottery of people, particularly my constituents, potentially not getting seen in their own country when there could be spare capacity in the system in England which could be utilised.
“The First Minister’s answer did not provide me with any confidence, but it’s unsurprising given Welsh Labour’s poor record of running the NHS in Wales over the last 25 years.”
