Patients in Wales will be able to cross the border into England to receive NHS treatment in a bid to drive down waiting lists in Wales.
NHS waiting lists in Wales hit a record high last week, with 593,000 people waiting for treatment.
The announcement comes ahead of the Wales Secretary’s speech this afternoon at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
Health is a devolved issue, meaning the UK Government manages healthcare in England and the Welsh Government manages healthcare in Wales.
NHS waiting lists in Wales hit a record high last week, with 593,000 people waiting for treatment
PA
However, this is the first time since devolution there has been collaboration over driving down waiting lists between England and Wales.
Ahead of her speech on Monday afternoon, Jo Stevens the Wales Secretary described healthcare as “one of the biggest shared challenges our two Governments face and we are acting quickly to tackle it.”
She added: “These practical, common-sense steps could deliver real change on the ground for patients and clinicians.
“Until now, cheap political point scoring by the previous UK Conservative Government made it impossible.
“This is only the first step in a bold new partnership between UK and Welsh Labour governments that will help deliver better care for patients and drive down waiting lists.”
The UK Government shared how: “They will draw inspiration from the work the Welsh Labour Government has done to improve access to NHS dentistry, unlocking 400,000 appointments in the last two years.
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This is the first time since devolution there has been collaboration over driving down waiting lists between England and Wales
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Meanwhile, “the Welsh Government will benefit from best practice shared by NHS England, as the new Westminster Labour Government rolls out new, more productive ways of working across the NHS in England to deliver 40,000 extra appointments a week.”
The First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan welcomed the news: “People are rightly proud of the NHS, which was created here in Wales.
“They want to see the governments in Wales and the UK working together to ensure they have better access to care – whether that’s to an NHS dentist or to a planned operation.
“We don’t have a monopoly on good ideas and there’s lots we can learn from our closest neighbours and we have lots we can share with our colleagues in NHS England, where we have already made changes to our NHS.
“We are ready to harness the power of two Labour governments, with the same values and the same belief in our great National Health Service, working together to improve services for people on both sides of the border.”
Under the previous Conservative Government, the former Health Secretary Steve Barclay suggested a similar idea whilst he was in office.
But nothing was agreed between the UK Government and Welsh Government.
The handling of the NHS in Wales has come under scrutiny. Sam Rowlands, the Shadow Health minister described the policy as “long-overdue, but welcome news.”
“The Labour Welsh Government rejected this offer from the UK Conservative Government for party political reasons, putting patients at risk.
“Labour must also accept some responsibility and put their full focus back onto the NHS and deliver more doctors and nurses, instead of politicians in the Senedd.”
