MP CLAIMS NHS IS NOT NATIONAL

MONMOUTH MP David Davies has claimed there is no such thing as the National Health Service after a local resident was told he could not have state of the art cancer surgery in Bristol.

Mr Davies said it was a disgrace that his constituent, who does not wish to be named, is being deprived of the opportunity to have laparoscopic surgery for prostate cancer at a specialist centre because it is across the border in England.

Speaking from his office in Usk, Mr Davies said: "We keep hearing about the NHS being the "envy of the world" but in truth we no longer have a National Health Service in any meaningful sense. Instead we have a series of regional health services where different rules apply and in which different standards of health care are available.

"If we had a truly National Health Service, British residents would be able to access services anywhere in the country. I think it's disgraceful and shocking that people are being penalised simply for living on the wrong side of the border. In this case the gentleman has prostate cancer and wants to have keyhole surgery to deal with it. If he lived across the border he would get the operation without question, yet he has been told he cannot have it because he lives in Wales."

The wife of the patient said: "Laparoscopic or keyhole surgery is not available in Wales for prostate cancer. Instead my husband has been told he should undergo open surgery at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.

"It's appalling that people living in Wales are being prevented from having access to the latest techniques in surgery simply because they live on this side of the border. The other day Peter Mandelson had a prostate operation, doubtless using keyhole surgery.  The next day he was on TV talking about the release of the Libyan prisoner. My husband works in his own business and having open surgery means he would probably have to convalesce for between four and six weeks.

"On Saturday we had through the post a lot of material saying his appeal had been turned down because patient choice is not available in Wales. The choice he is being given means he must either go for open surgery at the Royal Gwent or pay for a private operation, something we do not really agree with.

"There have been parliamentary committee reports saying these cross border issues need to be sorted out, but nothing seems to be done".