Question

Asked by Shivani Raja to Wales on 04 November 2026 — tabled under the Andy Burnham government

Welsh Government figures show that, as of March 2025, there were more than 30,000 Welsh people waiting for NHS treatment in England, which is almost three times the number in 2011. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Welsh Government about managing this cross-border demand, reducing waiting times in Wales and ensuring that services in England have the capacity to meet the needs of patients on both sides of the border?

Answer

Answered by Anna McMorrin (Labour)

Wales is the home of the NHS, and I am proud of the way that Welsh Labour has always been its fiercest defender, even in the face of Tory austerity. Welsh Labour brought those waiting lists down for 10 consecutive months before the last election. They are now rising under the Plaid Cymru Government, and we need to see clear action from the Welsh Government to bring them down. We regularly have discussions on how we can do that.

33% point-scoring 8% vibes

Verdict: RED (9/100)

The reply does not address the question's main points. It says nothing about cross-border demand or Welsh patients treated in England, and it does not mention NHS capacity in England or meeting patients' needs on both sides of the border. The only partial response is a general statement that ministers "regularly have discussions" about reducing waiting lists, which gives no detail on what was discussed, with whom, or with what outcome. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for specifics.

Verdict: RED (13/100)

The reply addressed only one of the three parts of the question. It gave a general, non-specific account of ongoing discussions with the Welsh Government about reducing waiting lists, but offered no concrete mechanism, meeting, or commitment. It did not address cross-border demand from Welsh patients for NHS treatment in England, or English NHS capacity for patients on both sides of the border. The asker would likely need to resubmit the question to get the specific information sought.

How we got there

Question item	Coverage	Specificity	Rationale
What is the nature of the Secretary of State's engagement with the Welsh Government on managing cross-border demand for NHS treatment in England from Welsh patients.	Not Addressed	Generic	Nothing in the reply mentions cross-border demand, Welsh patients treated in England, or any engagement on that subject; the reply stays on Welsh waiting lists and funding.
What is the nature of the Secretary of State's engagement with the Welsh Government on managing cross-border demand from Welsh patients for NHS treatment in England.	Not Addressed	Generic	No statement mentions cross-border demand from Welsh patients for NHS treatment in England or any engagement with the Welsh Government on it; "Wales is the home of the NHS" is a platitude with no bearing on the item.
What is the nature of the Secretary of State's engagement with the Welsh Government on reducing waiting times for NHS treatment in Wales.	Partially Addressed	Hedged	The reply says the Secretary of State "regularly ha[s] discussions" on reducing waiting lists, which describes the general pattern of engagement, but it gives no concrete content, forum or outcome, and the surrounding material is mostly political point-scoring.
What is the nature of the Secretary of State's engagement with the Welsh Government on reducing NHS waiting times in Wales.	Addressed	Hedged	Statement 6 states the nature of the engagement ("We regularly have discussions on how we can do that") on reducing waiting lists in Wales, and statement 5 frames the action expected of the Welsh Government, but neither names a concrete mechanism, meeting, or commitment, so the answer is substantive in form but thin in detail.
What is the nature of the Secretary of State's engagement with the Welsh Government on ensuring that NHS services in England have the capacity to meet the needs of patients on both sides of the border.	Not Addressed	Generic	The reply does not mention NHS capacity in England or meeting the needs of patients on both sides of the border, so this item goes unanswered.
What is the nature of the Secretary of State's engagement with the Welsh Government on ensuring that NHS services in England have the capacity to meet the needs of patients on both sides of the border.	Not Addressed	Generic	Nothing in the reply addresses English NHS capacity for patients on both sides of the border or any engagement with the Welsh Government on that capacity question; the reply stays on Welsh waiting lists and funding.