Welsh patients flock to England for treatment

Figures show Labour can't be trusted with NHS, say Tories

- Martyn Brown

THE number of patients ditching Labourrun Welsh hospitals for treatment in England has soared 40% in three years.

Some 39,485 Welsh residents sought elective treatment across the border in 2022/23 compared to 28,405 in 2020/21, according to health service figures.

High NHS waiting lists in Wales are being blamed for the spike.

Elective treatment includes surgery, outpatient medical appointments or diagnostics typically following a GP referral.

Earlier this year figures showed people in Wales were nearly twice as likely to be stuck on an NHS list as in England. Tens of thousands of patients have been waiting around 18 months or more.