House of Commons · Westminster Hall
16 April 2024 · 4 other contributors · 3,097 words
Opened by Virginia Crosbie Con Ynys Môn
Responding minister: Andrew Stephenson
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Virginia Crosbie raised concerns about health services: cross-border co-operation in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The UK Government needs to offer access to NHS services in England for people in Wales, step up cross-border cooperation, and commit to visiting Ynys Môn to meet constituents suffering from BCUHB's failures.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
BCUHB is serving a quarter of the Welsh population but has been in special measures for six years. Issues include patients discharged sicker, long ambulance waits, medication failures, and deaths due to poor care. Holyhead's health hub faces threats of no GPs and stalled co-location project. Data comparison across devolved nations is difficult, with significant delays in starting treatment noted.
Supports the lead MP's concerns about Wales' healthcare system and highlights that cross-border cooperation is not unique to Wales. Mentions a constituent's story of waiting 14 months for a cataract consultation.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has received the 11th highest number of prevention of future death reports, indicating serious concerns about the health services in north Wales.
A GP friend in Caithness experienced difficulties with NHS Scotland and had to go private for cataract treatment. There is a need for cross-border co-operation between England and Scotland.
The Northern Ireland-Republic of Ireland cross-border initiative was closed due to EU funding withdrawal. There is an argument for a UK-wide scheme for cross-border opportunities, beyond just the issue of Wales and England.
Government Response
Andrew StephensonIt is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Dame Caroline. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn on securing this debate on cross-border healthcare and recognise her tireless work on improving local health services in her constituency. Although healthcare in Wales has been devolved for 25 years, it is important that all four nations work together to address shared challenges, such as dealing with the legacy of covid-19, which has left us with record waiting lists. In England, we are making good progress on reducing long waits, and by February this year, the number of patients waiting over 18 months had been reduced by almost 90%. A core part of our approach is empowering patients to make decisions on their care, which can lead to shorter waiting times for patients and a positive impact on the overall patient experience. The UK Government remains committed to working closer with the devolved Administrations on elective recovery and access to primary care. We have agreed to take forward inter-ministerial group meetings quarterly to discuss strategic issues and share lessons and approaches to demand management. Moreover, officials are working on sharing lessons and comparing approaches to support patients who have been waiting the longest through programmes like 'Getting it right first time'. Additionally, the Government is doing important work with devolved Administrations to improve data comparability in the UK, which is essential for policy evaluation and understanding health outcomes across different parts of the United Kingdom.