A COMMITTEE of MPs could visit the Forest and Wye Valley as it investigates the issue of cross-border health care.

The issue has become contentious with people in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, who have Welsh-registered GPs, denied choices open to those with England-based doctors.

Meanwhile people in Monmouthshire find it difficult to get or continue treatment in English hospitals.

The Welsh Affairs Select Committee is looking at the "increasing divergence" between health services in Wales and England since it last investigated the issue in 2009.

Chair of the committee David Davies, the Conservative MP for Monmouth, told the Review: "There have been a lot of developments over the last five years – the Assembly has taken on extra powers and there has been an increasing move to try and treat people from within Wales in Wales.

"We want to look at how that is working but also what the arrangements are for people who want to move across the border.

"There is a process you have to go through involving appeals to different tribunals and we would like some clarity on that because all of us might have constituents who may want to be treated on the other side and we want to know how they go about it and what rights they have.

"One of the things I was thinking of doing, with the agreement of the rest of the committee, is to have some kind of open session on one side of the border and on the other and to talk to people affected on both sides.

"Many people would feel there needs to be maximum flexibility because the health service should be about delivering for people no matter which side of the border they're on."

In April 2013 the NHS Wales and NHS Commissioning Board England agreed a protocol for cross-border healthcare services to ensure smooth and efficient interaction between the NHS on either side of the border, but it is not clear how well this has been functioning to date.

The Silk Commission on Welsh devolution has also made recommendations to improve cross-border health delivery, and the government is preparing its response.

The committee is inviting written evidence on the following issues:

•The impact of the increasing policy divergence in the health systems of England and Wales on cross-border healthcare services, and on medical practitioners and patients in border regions in England and Wales.

•The experience of patients in England and Wales who rely on the use of healthcare services on the other side of the border.

•The case for greater sharing of resources and facilities between the English and Welsh healthcare systems.

•The impact of the protocol for cross-border healthcare services and whether it is meeting its objectives.

• The Silk Commission recommendation, particularly the proposalfor protocols between each border local health board in Wales and neighbouring NHS trust in England.

•Any lessons that can be learned from other cross-border health arrangements, such as between England and Scotland.

Forest-based campaign group Action4OurCare says it welcomes the inquiry and will be submitting evidence.

Written submissions have to be made by Wednesday, August 20. For more details visit the Welsh Affairs Select Committee pages at http://www.parliament.uk">www.parliament.uk.