MP hits out over hospital date wait
Thursday 3rd July 2008, 11:20AM BST.
A Mid Wales pensioner with a “crumbling hip” is still waiting for a hospital appointment in Oswestry after 32 weeks because of a growing problem in cross-border health services, an MP has told Parliament.
The plight of the former Shropshire resident, who now lives near Llanegryn in the Dysinni Valley, was outlined in the Commons yesterday by Michael Fabricant.
The Tory MP for Lichfield said the woman, who did not wish to be named, was told by her family doctor she had to wait “until it became agony” before she could be referred to hospital.
“Now, 32 weeks later, she is still waiting for a hospital appointment and she is not alone,” he said.
Welsh minister Huw Irranca-Davies conceded there was an issue, but argued waiting times had been cut for Welsh residents seeking treatment in English hospitals.
In May 2006, 768 Welsh residents were waiting more than 22 weeks for in-patient treatment, but this May, only one person had waited for that long, he said. And in May 2006, 940 out-patients were waiting for more than 22 weeks, this had been cut to zero this May.
Mr Fabricant said afterwards: “I don’t know where he gets his figures from because this is not an uncommon case. I have many constituents in Lichfield, and there are many people from the West Midlands in general who retire to Wales, oblivious of the fact that they face real problems in getting medical care.”
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