How is the Cabinet Secretary working with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure patients in North Wales can access timely cross-border specialist services?
The Welsh Government invested £50m last year and a further £120m this year to support improvements in waiting times, including the commissioning of a range of services.
Health boards continue to build on well-established reciprocal arrangements where NHS providers in Wales and England commission services for patients who live in border communities, or for patients who need access to treatments not available locally.
Establishing and monitoring of external commissioning contracts are the domain of the health boards either individually or through the Joint Commissioning Board for specialist services. This monitoring includes the review of the quality of the service provision and timeliness of access.