Part of 2. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:48 pm on 4 April 2017.
If we look at a rural authority like Powys, it’s inevitable that an authority like Powys will access specialist services from England. Geographically, it makes sense for people who live in large areas of Powys. In fact, there are specialist services in England that rely on Powys patients in order to be sustainable. Accident and emergency in Hereford is an example of that; without patients coming from eastern Breconshire particularly, the numbers going through Hereford’s A&E would cause questions to be asked about the sustainability of the service in Hereford. So, no; from my perspective, the last thing I want to see is any kind of wall come down between Wales and England in terms of healthcare. We know as well that 25,000 people cross the border the other way, to get A&E services in Wales. That’s why, of course, we have a robust protocol in place to ensure that services are available to people on both sides of the border.