Just over a fifth of Welsh population now on a waiting list compared to one in eight across border
Labour’s “failed” leadership of the NHS in Wales has driven a near 40 percentage points rise in the number of patients seeking treatment in English hospitals, the Tories have claimed.
Internal statistics seen by The Telegraph show that 39,485 Welsh residents were admitted for “elective” treatment in England in 2022/23, up from 28,405 in 2020-21.
The Conservatives said the data suggests Welsh residents are seeking to escape the Labour-led NHS across the border, where separate figures found a higher proportion of people were languishing on waiting lists.
But the Welsh Government said the “cross-border arrangements” are pre-planned.