Countess of Chester Hospital accepts Welsh patients again

The Countess of Chester hospital is accepting Welsh patients again

Thousands of Welsh patients barred from treatment at an English hospital will now be accepted for care following an agreement between two health boards.

The Countess of Chester Hospital stopped taking referrals from GPs in Wales in April over a funding row.

The dispute was resolved this month after an agreement between the Welsh and UK governments.

However, patients had to wait until the hospital signed a contract with the Betsi Cadwaladr health board in Wales.

A Betsi spokeswoman said: "We are pleased that a contract has been agreed with the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and our patients in east Flintshire are now able to access the services they need."

A Countess of Chester Hospital spokesman said: "We can confirm that the contract has been signed and treatment of patients referred to us from Wales will resume immediately."

About 20,000 patients from north east Wales are treated at the Countess of Chester Hospital each year.

Welsh patients account for about one fifth of the hospital's workload.