More Welsh patients treated in English hospitals since devolution

Apr 24 2008 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

THE number of Welsh patients treated in English hospitals has risen by a third since devolution.

Official figures reveal almost 10,000 more Welsh residents were cared for over the border last year than in 1999.

The rise comes despite the Welsh Assembly Government pumping billions of pounds into the NHS in Wales to boost capacity.

And the figures reveal the huge challenge Health Minister Edwina Hart faces to ensure that Welsh patients are treated in Wales wherever services can be provided safely and effectively.

But if large numbers of Welsh patients continue to head to England, it is feared that cross-border funding rows would worsen.

The Western Mail revealed yesterday how North Bristol NHS Trust is no longer making appointments for Welsh patients without prior funding approval.

And one English NHS trust chief executive has estimated that his organisation is £2m down after treating Welsh patients.

Jenny Randerson, the Welsh Liberal Democrat’s health spokeswoman, said: “Many AMs are hearing from constituents who are experiencing problems or being redirected to Welsh hospitals.

“There has been too much emphasis on Wales-only solutions, and not enough on empowering local health boards and trusts.

“We want the devolution process to go further than Wales versus England posturing. We want local decision makers to take the lead – they are best-placed to determine whether a particular service is best provided on one side of the border or the other.

“But with that freedom must come responsibility. Trusts and LHBs must ensure that where they are buying services from English hospitals, they pay the going rate.”

Jonathan Morgan, the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Health Minister, added: “We know that the Assembly Government has a utopian idea that every service and treatment will be provided in Wales but we are not living in an ideal world.

“We have to, therefore, use a mixture of provision and occasionally send people to be treated in England – we should continue giving people that option.

“I would hope that the Assembly Government will continue to negotiate with English providers to ensure that when we need to make use of its spare capacity, we can.”

English hospitals, which offer specialist services – such as the Walton Centre, in Liverpool, and the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital at Oswestry, have traditionally admitted patients from North and Mid Wales, because such services cannot be provided safely in Wales.

All Welsh paediatric heart and kidney patients also have to travel to England, as do some patients waiting for an organ transplant.

And people living in Powys are routinely referred to hospitals in England, because there are no district general hospitals in the county.

The Assembly Government has also used spare capacity the English NHS – and the private sector – to help reduce Wales’ long waiting lists, through the second offer scheme.

But the official figures reveal that there has been a significant – 27% – drop in waiting-list patients admitted to English hospitals between 1999-2000 and 2006-07.

They also show that almost 6,000 more Welsh residents are receiving emergency treatment in English hospitals, compared to 1999-2000.

A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government said: “The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to continually improving the care that patients receive in Wales. This is demonstrated by the progress made to date in reducing waiting times.

“However, patients must be able to receive the best care possibly available, irrespective of whether this is provided in England or Wales.

“This is particularly important with regard to emergency admissions which generally are unforeseen.

“In these cases, speed of access to the appropriate care is crucial, and the decision as to which hospital to access is made purely on grounds of patient safety and not government policy.”