Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cross-border Healthcare

Wednesday 6 July 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK Government will continue to work closely with the devolved Administrations to ensure healthcare access for all.
  • The Minister offered to write to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding ambulance times and patient access.
  • The Wrexham-Bidston line is one of several lines being examined to improve public service quality.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Craig Williams Con
NHS Wales
Context

There are ongoing issues with patient rights and healthcare adequacy across borders between England and Wales.

Question

What discussions the Government have had with the Welsh Government on the adequacy of cross-border healthcare provision. I am concerned about patients' rights and the need for effective collaboration to address these issues.

Answer from David Davies

The UK Government will continue to work closely with the devolved Administrations to ensure that everyone across the UK gets the healthcare they need. There is a memorandum of understanding with the Welsh NHS, which has been essential in resolving a number of long-standing issues over patients' rights across the border.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer provided general statements about collaboration without specific details on cross-border discussions or agreements.

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Q2 Craig Williams Con
NHS
Context

Residents are suffering due to long ambulance wait times, impacting both English and Welsh ambulance services that transport patients to the same hospital.

Question

I thank the Minister for that answer, and I am delighted that my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham is to the left of me. We have been working hard to try to get the Welsh Government and the Department of Health and Social Care together to talk about ambulance times. My constituents are suffering because if they get into a Welsh ambulance or an English ambulance, they still go to the same district general hospital in Shrewsbury. Will the Minister pull together the two Governments to talk about ambulance waiting times in Shrewsbury?

Answer from David Davies

I would certainly be happy to write to the Department of Health and Social Care. I am afraid that I am not responsible for the Welsh Government, but I would be pleased to see them working harder to ensure that patients in his constituency get access to the healthcare they need.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoided responsibility for facilitating meetings between the UK and Welsh Governments on the specific issue of ambulance waiting times.

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Q3 Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead
NHS Transport Wales
Context

Residents in Wrexham need improved public transport to access specialist cancer care at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, but the current situation is unsatisfactory.

Question

Those in Wrexham need to get easily to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in my constituency for specialist cancer care, and at the moment it is too hard because of the quality of public service. Will the Minister, before he leaves—maybe he is going to stay—give my constituents and people in north Wales an update on progress on the Wrexham-Bidston railway line?

Answer from David Davies

The Wrexham-Bidston line is one of a number of lines that are being looked at, including the south Wales relief line and the north Wales coast line. The reality is that constituents in Wales are fed up with having to wait more than 12 months for treatment, and the reason for that is 21 years of Labour Government running the NHS in Wales. Their record is an absolute disgrace.

Not addressed: The answer did not provide any update on the progress made regarding the Wrexham-Bidston railway line.

How: Criticising The Opposition

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