Helen Morgan
MP for North Shropshire · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“West Mercia police have changed the hours of police community support officers, introducing an 8 pm finish in order to save money. Unsurprisingly, that has led to an increase in antisocial behaviour in my constituency after 8 pm.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Jane Austen’s Mr Knightley said: “Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse”. But it seems to me that Royal Mail very much treats letters as a matter of indifference, and that is causing a huge problems for my constituents, such as those who have missed NHS letters, as has been discussed, and the farm…”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It set a dangerous precedent for future deals, as we have seen with the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership. Farmers have felt increasingly under threat.”
House of Commons21 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Three minutes is not a long time to represent over 1,000 North Shropshire farmers, many of whom have been in touch with me in the wake of the shambles of the second window of SFI 2026. John, who farms in Whitchurch, was distraught when he contacted me after he was unable to get on to the latest iteration of the scheme.”
House of Commons21 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Hardworking farmers cannot afford to take huge chunks of time out of the day to sit and watch a computer screen that won’t load.” This total disregard for, and failure to understand, agricultural life and business did not start with this Government.”
House of Commons21 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Another family farming in Weston Lullingfields watched the website repeatedly crash as the funding was scooped up, leaving them with nothing. What is most frustrating to farmers is that everybody could see this disaster coming from a good country mile away.”
House of Commons21 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
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“These are simple but potentially transformational steps in supporting the millions of carers without whom our health service would collapse. Winter is quickly closing in, and there are signs that the annual winter crisis could be even worse this year, having already become a year-round permacrisis. The Budget should have funded an emergency package to prevent A&Es collapsing this winter. Liberal Democrats have called for 1,000 extra hospital beds, emergency social care places to free up places in hospitals, a recruitment and retention drive to increase the number of out-of-hours GPs, and a qualified clinician in every A&E waiting room to protect patients who are at risk but stuck on trollies.”
House of Commons2 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“With an immigration policy that is clearly designed to disincentivise overseas workers in this area, there is no clear plan to ensure how those vacancies will be filled. In formulating their 10-year workforce plan, the Liberal Democrats urge the Government to introduce a funded and higher minimum wage for carers, and a new royal college of care workers to improve training and career progression and to give carers the recognition that they deserve. When social care is not available, family carers must step in to fill the need. A fairer deal for family carers, such as guaranteeing more respite care and introducing paid carer’s leave, would enable many to continue caring for longer at home. We want to see more support for young carers in school by introducing a young carers pupil premium.”
House of Commons2 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“One in seven hospital beds are taken by someone who should be discharged but for whom there is no appropriate social care package. The situation could not be more pressing. We need the cross-party talks to move far more quickly. As we have heard, there has been only one meeting, back in September, and there are no current plans for further engagement. I ask Ministers to ask the Prime Minister to lead those talks and to treat them with the seriousness and urgency that they deserve. We also need a solution to provide the social care beds needed to stop a devastating winter crisis; 2028 is too late for that. In addition to spiralling NIC costs, there is increasing demand and huge staff shortages in the sector.”
House of Commons2 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I share my hon. Friend’s frustration. Perhaps the most glaring and alarming omission of all in this Budget is that the words “adult social care” do not appear. The sector is already stretched to breaking point and is now suffering from the Government’s 2024 hike in employer national insurance contributions, which is unfunded for most businesses operating in that sector. The pressure is clearly reflected in the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ 2025 spring survey, which found that three quarters of directors have only “partial or no confidence that their budgets are sufficient to meet their legal duties for prevention and wellbeing.” That is not only terrible for disabled and vulnerable people; it is a disaster for the NHS.”
House of Commons2 December 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The impact of health inequalities on women’s health are starkest when it comes to maternity care, with many NHS trusts requiring improvement. Black and Asian women, and those from the most deprived communities, are far more likely to suffer the worst outcomes or even lose their babies. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives have vocally opposed the removal of the ringfence from the service delivery fund, saying that funding provided to drive change following the Ockenden review has disappeared at the stroke of a pen. Will the Secretary of State commit himself to reinstating that ringfence, and to ensuring that all the immediate and essential actions arising from that review of the failings at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust are taken as soon as possible?”
House of Commons25 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Every MP will be aware of the huge value that unpaid carers add to the NHS, taking the pressure off paid carers while often under intolerable pressure themselves. We were therefore really pleased to hear the news this morning that thousands of unpaid carers will have their cases reviewed, after they had been left with huge debts as a result of a failure of Government over a long period of time. However, it has been reported that debts will continue to accrue and overpayments will continue to be pursued for as long as a year from now. Given his responsibility to unpaid carers, will the Secretary of State raise the issue with colleagues, urging them to suspend repayments until the recommendations are enforced, and ensure that those people propping up the care system are treated fairly from today, not from in a year’s time?”
House of Commons25 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“One potential breach of the ministerial code is the briefing to the papers, but not to this House, that the Government will pay a major increase to pharmaceutical companies, seemingly at the behest of Donald Trump. Can the Minister confirm today that people who are worried about their local health services will not see a huge amount of money going to pharmaceutical companies at the behest of an outside player? Furthermore, will he ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to come to the House and explain that to us in full?”
House of Commons24 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I welcome the Government’s roll-out of the NHS RightCare COPD pathway and the National Respiratory Audit programme, along with plans to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation. I would be grateful if the Minister updated us in her closing remarks on progress with those programmes, as well as answering my questions about vaccine roll-out, support for carers and the Casey commission, access to a named GP, and full restoration of the public health grant, including for smoking cessation services.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Even though covid is now considered to be a mild disease, time off for NHS and care workers when services are at their most pressured, as well as the significant risk of transmission to vulnerable patients, is concerning. Will the Government consider a review of the decision to restrict access to covid vaccines this year? Can the Minister provide statistics on the uptake so far of flu vaccines within different groups and outline what steps she is taking to ensure high levels of uptake among NHS and care workers? In conclusion, COPD is a debilitating condition and, as with many conditions in the UK, there is something of a postcode lottery in the quality of care patients receive.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I was concerned by news that covid vaccination eligibility has been significantly reduced. This autumn and winter, vaccination is being offered only to people over 75 and those with a weakened immune system. People with chronic respiratory disease, including COPD and asthma, have been excluded despite the clear risk—I speak from too many personal 2 am nebuliser experiences—that even a mild respiratory infection poses for them. Also excluded are the main carer for an older or disabled person, those who are in receipt of carer’s allowance or who are living with someone who has a weakened immune system, and, perhaps most surprisingly, frontline health and social care workers. All those people remain eligible for a flu vaccine, and that is good.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Government established the Casey commission to find a cross-party solution to the social care problem, and I welcome that, but I have to report that despite a promising opening roundtable in September, there have been no further talks. Will the Minister update us on the progress of that work? The winter presents an immediate problem. There are warnings of a particularly bad flu season, which is causing concern for everyone who is more vulnerable to respiratory illness, including those with COPD. My local hospital, Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic hospital, and the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust have already introduced some mandatory mask wearing to reduce the risk of transmission of respiratory disease in the hospital. That means that an effective vaccination programme is especially important this year.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“We would also help people who struggle to get into work because of their illness, with a new right to flexible working and the right to work from home unless there is a really good business reason why that is not possible. We would make it easier for people with long-term conditions, such as COPD and those with disabilities, to access public life, including the world of work, through a range of measures that allow better physical access and proper adjustment to the workplace. Many people with COPD are at risk of a stay in hospital, and they are often unable to get home after that because of the crisis in social care, which is putting even more strain on the NHS.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“To achieve that, we need the Government to be much more ambitious in their plans to increase GP numbers. We need them to adopt Lib Dem plans to retain and recruit 8,000 more GPs over this Parliament to deliver that improvement in care. We are also campaigning to improve the speed of new treatments by expanding the capacity of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. We are also pressing for better social care, including for people with COPD who are struggling to manage independently. We would provide more support for family carers through initiatives such as the right to respite breaks, paid carer’s leave and an end to the cliff edge in the way that carer’s allowance is paid, so that no one is forced to pay back thousands of pounds because they worked an extra hour a week.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Liberal Democrats have called for anyone with a long-term health condition, including COPD, to have a named GP, which would improve the continuity and therefore the quality of their care. People with COPD consistently report difficulties accessing services that are essential to managing their condition, including GP appointments, specialist care and pulmonary rehabilitation. They also experience poor communication between different healthcare providers and inadequate follow-up after hospital discharge. As we have heard, COPD patients are often left in the dark with inadequate information about their condition when they are first diagnosed. Better continuity of care in the community would surely help to overcome at least some of those issues.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I would welcome the Minister’s thoughts on those proposals, which would drastically reduce avoidable respiratory diseases. The theme for World COPD Day this year is “Short of Breath, Think COPD”, and it aims to raise awareness of underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of COPD. As I mentioned, there could be 2 million people undiagnosed in the UK who are missing out on essential treatment and advice on how best to manage their debilitating condition. NICE recommends that COPD should be suspected in anyone aged over 35 with a risk factor for COPD and symptoms of breathlessness, chronic cough, regular phlegm production, frequent chest infections in the winter, or wheezing.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am sure all Members agree that prevention is better than cure, and helping smokers to kick the habit will not only reduce their risk of debilitating illness but will save taxpayers money in the long run. The cost of COPD is £2 billion per annum, and everyone benefits if fewer people require treatment for smoking-related illness. Along with smoking, long-term exposure to air pollution may be a cause of COPD. The Liberal Democrats have pledged to reduce air pollution; to protect people, especially children, from breathing in harmful pollutants by passing a clean air Act based on World Health Organisation guidelines and enforced by a new air quality agency; and to improve public transport and active travel to reduce the harm caused by air pollution at home, school and work.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“As the main cause of COPD is smoking, it is a highly preventable condition. I welcome the Government’s introduction of legislation to enable a smoke-free generation, but we must also consider those who have already started smoking and who are finding it hard to quit, or those who can circumvent the provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Smoking is much more common in deprived areas, as we have already heard, so COPD is also a stark indicator of social and health inequalities in this country. The Liberal Democrats want the new Government to take urgent action to support people to live healthier lives, starting by reversing in full the Conservative cuts to funding for public health, of which smoking cessation services are a critical part.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“As someone who has had asthma from childhood, I know at first hand the fear, frustration and disruption to daily life that gasping for breath can cause. It is critical that there is a plan in place to manage respiratory disease, given that we may be facing a devasting winter crisis in the NHS once more. The most recent data published by the NHS shows that there were over 1.17 million patients recorded by GPs as having COPD in England in 2023-24. The National Institute for Care Excellence warns that the real number of sufferers may be much higher, noting that previous Government research put the number at around 3 million in the UK, 2 million of whom remain undiagnosed. Approximately one in 10 adults over the age of 40 has COPD in the UK, at a cost of £2 billion a year to the NHS.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I start by congratulating the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who is a friend of all of us in this House, on securing this debate and raising awareness of World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day, which took place yesterday. I thank him for his tireless campaigning for this cause, and for his excellent opening speech, which outlined the issues faced by COPD sufferers. As we have heard, COPD is the name given to a group of health conditions that affect the lungs and cause breathing difficulties, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Patients with COPD may face symptoms such as shortness of breath, a chesty cough, frequent chest infections and wheezing, which get progressively worse over time and may be exacerbated during the winter months.”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My constituents are no strangers to flooding, whether that is from the Rivers Severn and Vyrnwy in villages such as Melverley or from surface water or inadequate infrastructure in Gobowen and Hadnall. The Environment Agency says that another 1,600 properties in my constituency will be vulnerable to surface water flooding by 2050, and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill fails to address flooding or climate change at all. Given that the Government voted down my amendments and those of my Lib Dem colleagues to the Bill, which were intended to tackle this problem, can we have a debate or a statement from the relevant Minister on how the UK will build flood resilience?”
House of Commons20 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“There is no doubt that my constituents are concerned by crimes such as equipment theft and wildlife crime, but they are also really worried about drug dealing taking place in broad daylight in parks, in our villages and in country lanes. Can the Minister tell us what the Government’s drug strategy is to stop our young people being targeted by organised criminals, and also to improve community policing in rural places so that those criminals do not have the confidence to target our young people so willingly?”
House of Commons17 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Sixteen years of Conservative mismanagement of Shropshire council combined with successive Governments’ failures to understand the needs of rural local authorities have left Shropshire council with a dire financial emergency and in need of exceptional financial support. The situation is critical. Can the Leader of the House assist me in arranging a meeting with the relevant Secretary of State and MPs for Shropshire so that we can press the Secretary of State to ensure that Shropshire receives that support?”
House of Commons13 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Every time I go out and knock on doors in Whitchurch, inadequate access to the railway is brought up by countless people. Residents of Whitchurch who want to access the southbound platform to travel down to the county town of Shrewsbury or to exit the station when travelling down from the north are forced to tackle 44 steps up and down a footbridge. Those who are disabled or elderly, in a wheelchair or with heavy bikes, prams or large suitcases are often physically unable to access half of the trains going out of the station, or exit the station into the town when coming in from the north.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of step free access at rural railway stations. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. In constituencies such as North Shropshire, access to public transport is poor. There are just three fully operational railway stations in North Shropshire, along with two very rural request stops. Shropshire’s second and third largest towns do not have a station at all. Whitchurch, home to around 10,000 people, does not have step-free access from the southbound platform. The station is a vital hub, particularly for the eastern side of the constituency and for those needing to connect with west coast main line services at Crewe or on to Chester or Manchester and southward to Shrewsbury, Birmingham and Wales. This has been an issue for a very long time.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Government’s answers to pleas from Members across the House for approved stations to finally be released have made full use of the phrases “will be announced in due course” and “will be announced shortly”, but there has been nothing in the way of clarity, either in terms of the timetable or the stations to be included.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Over a year later, a press release identical to the May 2024 one was published by the Government, stating that feasibility studies had been given the green light, further adding to the confusion about the timeline for the work. In August, Lord Hendy then confirmed that the initial feasibility studies had been completed, and that a decision would be made on which of the 50 stations would be put forward for work to start in the context of the spending review 2025, which took place in July. Almost two months later, we are still waiting to learn the Department’s decision.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Nearly two years after I first wrote to the Department for Transport, shortly after I was elected, and after countless letters, questions and meetings, Whitchurch station was finally announced as one of the stations where feasibility work for a step-free solution would be carried out under the Access for All scheme in May 2024, shortly before the election. As one would expect, the announcement gave rise to hope in the town that work would finally be completed, and yet what followed was a chaotic confusion of mixed messages. Shortly after the general election the new Labour Government indicated that they would pause the projects while they sorted out the nation’s finances.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“One Whitchurch resident told me that 10 years ago, sadly, they developed a neurological condition, which led to their retiring from their profession and needing to use a four-wheeled walking frame. They had to make frequent trips to the national hospital for neurology and neurosurgery in London, but were not able to use Whitchurch station. Instead they had to drive over 17 miles along a poorly maintained road to Crewe to access the station there. It is absurd that we must have a car to access the railway. Public transport is for people who do not have cars. The nation and the Government are trying to move towards more sustainable forms of travel, but preventing large numbers of people from using the railway will not help achieve that objective.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. She raises a good point because none of the stations in my constituency is staffed on a regular basis, which adds an extra dimension for people struggling with their mobility or carrying heavy items. The nearest alternative stations in Shropshire are Prees and Wrenbury. Both are request stops, where we have to stand on the edge of the platform and hail the train for it to stop. They are six and seven miles away respectively. To get from Whitchurch to Prees, which is southward—the way someone wants to go if they cannot access the platform—a person must travel over an hour by walking and taking the bus if they do not have a car. There is not an alternative option to get to Wrenbury. There is no parking at Prees station—just a widening in the grass verge by the road.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I would be grateful if the Minister set out the Government’s timeline for delivering step-free access to Whitchurch station, so I may share that with my constituents.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My hon. Friend makes a good point. I think there is an element of pork barrel politics and of making undeliverable promises shortly before the election. That is not forgivable, because it has created an expectation among constituents that cannot be fulfilled. As I was saying, the lack of clarity has added to the frustration of residents in places such as Whitchurch—especially in Whitchurch, because the plans for the lift are in place. It has been designed and Network Rail is keen to start work on the project, having designated it as a high priority for delivery in control period 7. All we need for step-free access at Whitchurch is a green light from the Department for Transport.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Those areas do not face the same fundamental issues that rural areas do. They have regular buses that come within minutes, even on Sundays, and train services that are more frequent than every two hours. If people choose to drive, they can do so without the risk of damaging their tyres because they have bumped into a huge pothole. In a town like Whitchurch, if the bus turns up the round trip to someone’s destination is likely to be more than two hours—even if it is only to Shrewsbury, which is 20 miles away. Investment like the Access for All scheme in rural areas is part of the solution to improving economic growth—to more businesses thriving, more people spending and more money flowing into our economy.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My hon. Friend is right: there should be more transparency, but there also needs to be more attention to the issue of step-free access in rural areas. I am about to come on to that in more detail. Improving the accessibility of Whitchurch station will bring more people to the town via rail. That obviously could boost tourism—Whitchurch is Shropshire’s oldest continuously occupied town and is well worth a visit, along with the other beautiful and historic towns in my constituency—and bring customers to local businesses, workers to job vacancies, critically, and families to their loved ones. Rural towns and villages have been consistently deprioritised by successive Governments and this Government, I am afraid, are no better, continually focusing investment into mayoral combined authorities’ coffers.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“If the Government want to achieve their mission of stimulating growth across the whole country, they should ensure that everyone has proper access to public transport, not just those people who are lucky enough to live in an urban area. I hope that the Minister will ensure that the needs of our rural areas are understood and prioritised to turn the tide on decades of persistent under-investment in public transport and take the first step to making the railway step-free in rural areas, and especially in Whitchurch in North Shropshire.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am sorry, but once someone has got in their car and driven 30 miles to access a step-free station, they may as well drive the rest of the way—I certainly would; that completely negates the point of public transport. Will the Minister please set out whether his Department intends to update those outdated and ineffective criteria to ensure that rural areas are not left forever without accessible stations? Of course, I understand that installing accessibility upgrades for urban stations may reach more people, but the people there already have other forms of accessible transport, often as well as a usable taxi service. In an area such as Shropshire, that is often not the case.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I welcome the £373 million scheme to deliver Access for All projects over the next five years on a £70 million annual rolling basis, but it is key that that money is distributed to places where access to the railway network is currently poor and where it will have the most impact. The only criteria that we could find for the provision of step-free access to railway stations come from joint code of practice created by the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland in 2015—a decade ago. It recommends that “stations that have a daily passenger flow of 1000 passengers or less…are not required to have lifts or ramps” if a station within 50 km of the same route provides a step-free route.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. Whitchurch, like, I would imagine, many of the towns mentioned in today’s debate, has seen a huge amount of development. The criteria that might have been applied for step-free access some years back probably need reassessing now, because far more people are living there. The investment would help revitalise our market town high streets, which have withered after years of the previous Conservative Government’s taking rural areas for granted. This Labour Government need to acknowledge the importance of rural parts of the country because they risk pushing the urban-rural divide to breaking point.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I want to re-emphasise the point that to a person who lives in Whitchurch, Gobowen is a long way away; they have to drive there. There is no parking at Prees. It is in the middle of nowhere—literally, because the station is not in the village. At Wem, the barrier is down for seven minutes when a train comes in; it is really inaccessible. Although fewer people use those stations, they have fewer options for public transport. I wonder whether the criteria are the right ones.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the Minister for her answer. The situation she describes is similar to one that I am about to describe. A constituent of mine got in touch about a case of historical sexual abuse, which they bravely reported in 2018. After years of waiting, a trial date was set for this May, only for it to be put back again until July 2027—nine years after first reporting the case. I am sure, Mr Speaker, you can imagine the toll that has taken on my constituent’s mental health and wellbeing. I urge the Minister to progress at speed with her reform of the Courts Service and, in particular, address the problems in Shropshire where there are significant issues with the Crown court and magistrates court service.”
House of Commons11 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In 2025, we should be in a place where the flow of information is smooth and patients in the UK need not worry where they are located or what nationality they are if they need healthcare. I call on the Minister to work with her colleagues in the Welsh Government to ensure that their health system works in harmony with ours. Devolution should not mean having a dysfunctional border region. It should help deliver the localised care that residents need. I look forward to the Minister’s response.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“As a party, the Liberal Democrats believe that the best way to do it is by, for example: extending England’s secure nhs.net to Welsh GP practices to allow safe patient data exchange; expanding English clinicians’ access to the Welsh clinical portal, which is currently available just in Wye Valley, to improve safety and efficiency; implementing any further sensible measures integrating English, Welsh and Scottish secure email systems; broadening the Welsh clinical portal, including expanding the Powys teaching health board and Wye Valley trust data-sharing model to other border trusts; and investigating interoperability of the NHS app between countries to support patient communications.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is essential for the health and wellbeing of residents on both sides of the border that we move to a system that focuses on a smooth flow of information between the nations and, crucially, that prioritises patient outcomes. Improvements should be built on existing systems and border projects, rather than attempting some kind of long-winded, full national integration.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Betsi Cadwaladr university health board has no official responsibility for my constituents over the border in North Shropshire, but it does get funding from the Welsh NHS for each individual registered in Chirk. Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB presumably cannot afford a new surgery for the village, despite its being Shropshire’s largest village—it is also rapidly expanding—which means that residents must travel into Wales to see their nearest GP, with all the complications that entails. The best interests of English patients were disregarded by Betsi Cadwaladr health board because it was not responsible for those patients’ outcomes.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The 2018 “Statement of values and principles” has no legal force; it is a voluntary agreement that leaves patients powerless when things go wrong. What we really need is proper accountability, shared data and transparent funding, so that the border does not become a barrier to care. It should not decide how long people wait, what care they get and whether their doctor can access their records. One of the communities hit hardest by these challenges is St Martin’s—the largest village in Shropshire and, of course, in North Shropshire. Its GP surgery was a branch of the medical practice over the border in Chirk and it was overseen by Betsi Cadwaladr university health board. In 2022 it was closed, despite strong opposition from me and the village residents.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“As we have heard from our Scottish colleagues in today’s debate, there is a similar situation on the Scottish border. A fundamental difference in national strategies has left those on the border torn between two healthcare systems and two sets of priorities. The pilot project between Powys and the Wye Valley is a glimmer of hope, but progress on that is too slow. This is leading to a situation in which it is harder to recruit GPs, referrals take longer and patients fall through the cracks, because the two systems do not talk to each other. Treatment pathways can be confusing and fragmented, as we heard from my constituent’s example. Patients are facing delays and disputes not because of medical need, but because of bureaucracy.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I ask the Minister to ensure that the Labour-led Welsh Government are working hand in hand with our English integrated care boards and hospital trusts to ensure that residents on the border—on the Welsh side and the English side—are provided with the care that they need and deserve. Behind the problem with funding flows lies another problem—the data-sharing chaos. After 25 years of devolution, NHS England and NHS Wales still cannot share patient records properly. Although England uses the NHS e-RS, or e-referral service, Wales uses the Welsh clinical portal, I am reliably informed. Clinicians often need multiple logins to access cross-border data, and GP-to-GP digital record transfers do not work between nations, with referrals, test results and discharge letters still moving by post or fax, which is an absurd situation in 2025.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies) mentioned, are being asked to prioritise waiting lists based not on need, but on nationality. I am an accountant, not a medical expert, but how can clinicians at those trusts be expected to manage their lists if they must take into account nationality before clinical need? The teams in both trusts are working incredibly hard to bring down their own long waiting lists. They have ambitious targets to meet, but they are being instructed to leave some patients longer, for no obvious reason. It is clearly an untenable situation for those hospital trusts. The patients, who may be living with chronic pain, are being told to wait longer than necessary because they live in Wales. That is not fairness; it is failure.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Although my office resolved the issue fairly quickly, it should not be necessary for an MP to get involved in a funding flow across the border. That is not acceptable, and not how we should be dealing with cross-border care. As my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe and the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (Steve Witherden) have described, Powys teaching health board has set waiting times for elective surgery that are arbitrarily long and without reference to clinical need. That means that Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust, which treats my constituents, and the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt orthopaedic hospital, which is in my constituency and provides the veterans centre that the hon.”
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“The 2018 cross-border statement promised that no patient would face delay or disadvantage because of which side of the border they lived on, but in reality that promise has not been kept. Another constituent of mine who is registered with a GP in Wales was unfortunately diagnosed with breast cancer about 18 months ago. Her GP in Wales was very good; her initial care was excellent, and she was set to have a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in Telford, but a couple of days before the surgery she was told that the Welsh health board would not be paying for the reconstructive element of the surgery. Obviously she was distressed and very scared about her future, and worried about having to wait longer to have that vital surgery because the funding issue needed to be sorted out.”
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“Take for example many of my constituents whose GP will be in Wales because that will be their closest GP, and who usually attend Wrexham Maelor hospital for investigations and procedures, because if they live in north-west Shropshire that is almost as close as the hospitals in Shrewsbury and Telford. It is certainly closer than Telford. In an emergency, because their address is in England, the ambulance that they are sent comes from the West Midlands ambulance service and it is most likely that they will be taken to Shrewsbury or Telford hospitals as a result. When they get there, those hospitals are unable to access their medical records, including any recent blood reports or clinical history. I think the Minister will agree that that is inherently dangerous for those patients, whose only “fault” is to live close to the border.”
House of Commons4 November 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗