Star comment: NHS faces a funding dilemma
The NHS has dominated the countdown to May's General Election.
Politicians from all parties have campaigned vigorously on the basis that our nation's cherished health service would be best cared for by them.
The final decision will be made by voters on May 7. But before then, there are pressing non-political matters to attend to. The NHS needs daily care and careful management.
Today the issue of cross-border funding has loomed into view, following the revelation that health services in Shropshire are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds per year treating patients from across the Welsh border.
A new report shows that the number of English patients accessing Welsh services has fallen dramatically while the number of Welsh patients accessing English services has steadily risen.
It is important to separate the issue from the politics that will swirl around it between now and May 7 and focus on the facts. They are these: Shropshire has to fork out £700,000 extra per year to make sure Welsh patients receive adequate care.
The situation is clearly unsustainable and intervention is required. If there are increased flows of Welsh patients to English hospitals and GP surgeries, there must also be increased revenues to pay for their treatment.
The notion that patients from one side of the border should subsidise their neighbours is unfair, unsustainable and unacceptable. The fact that the NHS faces funding difficulties is clear to all. There have been numerous controversies and scandals the length and breadth of the UK in recent months surrounding its long term future.
The money being divested across the border from the NHS in Shropshire to its Welsh counterpart would pay the salaries of around two dozen staff. Alternatively, it would fund life-saving drugs, life-improving operations or help to reduce waiting lists for non-emergency procedures.
Irrespective of who wins the election – or, indeed, who blames who for the present £700,000 shortfall – it is of the utmost importance that the present situation is resolved. Responsible health boards must manage their finances sensibly and ensure such drains on resources are made good.
The financial relationships between accident emergency units, minor injuries units and GP surgeries that serve residents close to the border must be investigated as a matter of urgency.
