Confusion reigns over Labour NHS pledge

ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2024, a news story circulated revealing a plan for more cross-border NHS treatment, with Welsh patients able to go to England for treatment.

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First Minister Eluned Morgan

‘The announcement, on the eve of Labour's UK conference, said the UK and Welsh governments would collaborate on healthcare for the first time in an effort to drive down waiting lists on both sides of the border.

‘A report in the Guardian after the initial briefing suggested more patients from Wales would be able to go for England for treatment. However, this was not explicitly mentioned during the conference and later reports said only that the two governments would collaborate to bring down waiting lists.

When Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens was asked to clarify, she struggled to say exactly what the policy meant.