The differences in cross border health policies are becoming problematic for administrators, clinicians and patient care, according to Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George.
Mr George spoke in a Welsh Conservative debate this week (Wednesday 30th November) which highlighted the impact on Welsh patients of policy differences at the border and called for the cross-border protocol to be strengthened.
Following the debate, Mr George said:
“Cross border healthcare is an issue which continues to dominate my postbag. It’s part of the reason why I have recently set up the Cross Party Group on Cross Border Issues to learn more about the policy differences at the border which is becoming problematic for administrators, clinicians and affects patient care.
“Wales and England share a porous border and cross-border healthcare remains a massive issue, with patients from Montgomeryshire travelling to England on a regular basis for treatment at the Royal Shrewsbury, Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen.
During the debate, Mr George raised several anonymous examples which highlighted some of the issues which Montgomeryshire patients face (see notes to editors).
Mr George added:
“Regrettably, the differences in policy in England and Wales have a direct impact on the access to, consistency of, and quality of care for patients which the 2013 commissioning protocol has not fully addressed. As a result, many of my constituents suffer from a postcode lottery when it comes to waiting times, funding decisions and differing treatment priorities. This means that Mid Wales patients often fall between the administrative cracks when accessing care.
“As the Welsh NHS Confederation has said, there needs to be greater cross-border citizen engagement to raise awareness of devolution and the differences in treatment availability and waiting times, as many patients on both sides of the border are unaware of the potential for divergence between health services or the potential wider implications of registering with a GP on either side of the border.
“Policies should be better “border proofed” to provide consistency in healthcare and I would welcome assurances from the Welsh Government that it has put steps in place to work in partnership with the UK Government and other interested parties to ensure that cross-border arrangements work for patients from Montgomeryshire and that patients receive the treatment they need regardless of their country of residence.”
Examples from Montgomeryshire – Cross Border Health Issues
Mr L required a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) but funding has been refused twice. If Mr L was resident in England, he would have had the operation without the need for a funding request.
Mrs E and Mr M need a total knee operation and a complete left hip respectively and are both waiting 26 weeks for an operation in Gobowen instead of 18 weeks if they resided in England.
A number of my constituents have also expressed huge concern that Welsh patients are ordinarily only allowed one PET scan which allows your doctor to check for diseases in your body, whereas English patients are offered two PET scans, usually one before the patient’s operation and one post operation.