Minister refutes claims over cost to NHS in Shropshire of treating Welsh patients

Studies by Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) showed a near nine per cent increase in the number of people coming over the border for treatment at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital A&E or at one of the county's Minor Injuries Units (MIU).

The document claims it is costing the CCG an extra £700,000 a year.

• The study by Shropshire CCG which arrived at the £700,000 figure analysed the number of patients choosing to use facilities in Shropshire alongside those patients from England crossing the border to receive treatment in Wales.

• The study found that over the past two years the numbers of English patients accessing Wrexham Maelor Hospital has fallen from 180-190 people per month to 130 per month.

• The number of Welsh patients attending English MIUs has grown from 70 to 100 people per month.

• There has also been an increase in the number of Welsh patients attending Royal Shrewsbury A&E from 500 people per month to 530.

But Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Assembly's minister for health and social services, said the Welsh NHS paid for every Welsh patient who has planned care in England.

He said the CCG's claims were "inflammatory".

Mr Drakeford said: "The Welsh NHS pays for every Welsh patient who has planned care with the English NHS.

"The latest accounts show that NHS Wales paid English NHS organisations more than £200 million in 2013/14 to treat Welsh patients. Indeed, without Welsh patients, English health services would be clinically and financially de-stabilised.

"Every year, thousands of English patients are treated in Wales and thousands of Welsh patients are treated in England.

"When it comes to emergency care, we have a 'knock-for-knock' agreement where health services on either side of the border do not charge each other when patients access services.

He added: "This is a two-way relationship. The latest figures for 2014/15 up to the end of November show there had been more than 21,000 English patients seen at Welsh A&E departments.

Previously, Dr Caron Morton, the CCG's chief accountable officer, said: "There are an increasing number of patients from Wales currently receiving treatments in Shropshire. This is leading to increased financial pressures."

However, it was claimed today that health bosses in Shropshire have "very real concerns" about the increasing cost of treating Welsh patients.

Daniel Kawczynski, who has been MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham for the last two parliaments and is standing again in the May General Election, said despite Mr Drakeford's claims that emergency treatment is carried out on a "knock-for-knock" basis, the Shropshire CCG has "real concerns".

He said: "I am speaking to Dr Caron Morton about this issue again and I believe the CCG when it says it has very real concerns about the costs.

"It is interesting to hear Mr Drakeford's comments, but he has very rarely approached me on the matter.

"I have spoken to Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, on this matter to ask him to engage with the Welsh Assembly Government."

The CCG – General Practices that work to plan and design local health services – said health chiefs in Shropshire are paying an extra £700,000 a year to treat increasing numbers of Welsh patients coming over the border for care.

Mr Kawczynski added: "While there is no question Welsh patients should continue to be treated in England, my CCG has suggested it is unable to continue funding this activity from a capitation-based budget that is allocated on behalf of local taxpayers to Shropshire, for the provision of care services for English residents."

Mr Kawczynksi said that while it is based on a knock-for-knock basis, there is no A&E in Montgomeryshire which could treat English patients.

Glyn Davies, Montgomeryshire MP, called for the Welsh Assembly to pay for Welsh patients being treated in England.

He said: "It is quite often the case that the best care for people in Mid Wales is available over the border in England and I want them to get that best care. I think that Welsh Assembly should be made to foot the bill."