“Cross border patients failed in Wales” says Shadow Minister

David Jones, MP for Clwyd West and Shadow Minister for Wales, today challenged Welsh Secretary, Paul Murphy, over difficulties experienced by Welsh patients with muscle disease in obtaining treatment across in hospitals in England. In response, the Secretary of State accepted the “general thrust” of the criticism.

Speaking in the Commons chamber at Welsh Questions, David Jones highlighted a new report published by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Building on the Foundations, which found that:

• most patients in Wales with neuromuscular conditions do not receive multi-disciplinary care;
• most patients are unable to access specialist services, whether in Wales or in England and;
• funding is a significant problem, with at least one Welsh local health board unable to send patients for treatment at a specialist centre in Oswestry.

During the exchange, David Jones asked Mr Murphy:
“Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that Welsh patients, who, after all, pay their taxes at precisely the same rates as English patients, are entitled to a service of at least equal quality? Does he not share my regret that they are clearly not getting it?”

The Secretary of State for Wales, Paul Murphy MP, confirmed that the Welsh Assembly Government would consider the charity’s report, but added:

“I agree with the general thrust of the question on muscular dystrophy services.”

Commenting, Robert Meadowcroft, Director of Policy at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, said:

“The Secretary of State spoke earlier in the session about an improvement in services experienced by all Welsh patients, but our report about muscle disease uncovered a very different story, with patients experiencing a postcode lottery of treatment.

“I’m delighted that we can count on the support of the Shadow Minister for Wales in the fight against muscle disease and I urge other Welsh MPs to join our campaign to improve services for Welsh patients."

You can read the report here Building on Foundations: The Need for a Specialist Neuromuscular Service Across Wales (974 kb)