SOME 8,000 Forest of Dean residents who are registered with a Welsh GP are still being treated unlawfully by NHS Wales according to a local campaign group.

The Action4OurCare has been fighting for Gloucestershire residents who are being unlawfully denied their right to choose their consultant and hospital treatment with NHS England waiting times.

A spokesperson for the group said: “We are still being treated unlawfully through NHS Wales’ rules for their secondary healthcare, despite being legally entitled to be treated since April 2013 under the NHS England Constitution.

“Residents are deliberately being kept in ignorance of their legal rights because an unaccountable Welsh Government is unnecessarily delaying the implementation of the solution identified by NHS England.

“If this was allowed to proceed it would give these patients their lawful rights within a matter of weeks allowing these patients to stay with their Welsh registered GP, get their legal entitlements, and still opt to be treated in NHS Wales if they wish to.

The group is holding a public meeting to explain why local residents are being denied their legal rights on access to healthcare at the Pavilion in St Briavels on April 16 at which Forest MP Mark Harper will be attending along with Dr Marion Andrews-Evans, representative of Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The Welsh Government is not delaying the implementation of the English Department of Health’s changes to referral arrangements for English residents registered with Welsh GPs.

“We are committed to working with NHS England and the Department of Health to resolving complex issues before an effective pilot can take place.

"We want there to be a seamless referral process for patients and Welsh GPs which does not compromise patient safety; reduce the ability of GPs to track patients through the system or put unnecessary additional burdens on GPs.

"A key issue is the inability of the proposed electronic referral system to deal with all secondary and community care referrals.

“The NHS Cross Border Protocol did not expire on 31 March 2016.

"The legal arrangements for English residents registered with a Welsh GP and vice versa will continue as at present.”