There’s been many twists and turns in this story so far, here’s a timeline of how we got to this current point:
Monday 23 September, Labour conference in Liverpool
Jo Stevens announces a cross-border NHS plan with the first minister, with plans for Welsh patients to travel across the border by developing “mutual aid partnerships” for surgery to help bring down waiting lists.
She is asked: “If I’m on a waiting list and watching this, am I any closer to having my procedure done because of this?”
She responds: “Yes. English NHS trusts and Welsh health boards will work together… through identifying capacity… and making sure we can get people into theatre, get their operations and get them back to work and back to their families.”
Tuesday 24 September, First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd
Senedd Tory leader Andrew RT Davies twice asks the FM how many Welsh patients will benefit from the cross-border plan and what it will cost.
The first minister does not address those questions initially but instead talks about the co-operation that already exists and of being “keen to ensure we share best practice”.
This is the other strand of the cross-border plan, although also not free of controversy.
Davies has another go, to which the FM replies that a conversation has started and that they will “come up with the details in weeks to come”.
Sunday 13 October, BBC Wales’ Politics Wales programme
Jeremy Miles is asked whether England has the capacity to take Welsh patients. He replies: “That isn’t what we’re talking about.”
Tuesday 15 October, the Senedd
Plaid Cymru’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth asks the FM what Jo Stevens meant by newspaper quotes very similar to the ones she gave Wales Today back on 23 September.
This time the FM goes on the offensive saying: “I think people have been putting words into our mouth in terms of what the relationship is and what it was that we announced.”
She goes on to say “frankly there is not much capacity in England either at the moment. I’ll tell you what it’s about. It’s about learning best practice”.
And finally…
Wednesday 16 October, Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons and BBC Politics Live studio
A Plaid Cymru question, from Plaid’s leader in the House in PMQs, accuses Labour of “making it up as they go along”.
Jo Stevens repeats her comments that the plan was about “identifying capacity so that we can use that capacity to bring down waiting lists for elective surgery”.
