CAMPAIGNERS fighting for fairer treatment of Forest of Dean residents registered with Welsh GPs were celebrating victory this week.

The Action4OurCare group has led a five-year crusade to change cross border rules on Welsh GPs referring English patients to England NHS hospitals for treatment.

The group leader Pam Plummer argued that around 8,000 patients had to ‘jump through hoops’ to get treatment, causing potentially life threatening delays.

However a new Statement of Values and Principle has been signed by all the ministers concerned and laid before the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

This replaces the old Cross Border Protocol signed in April 2013 which did not comply with the law.

Mrs Plummer said: “The new statement allows all the patients living in Gloucestershire and registered with a GP under contract to NHS Wales to exercise their legal rights under the NHS Constitution to be referred to a provider under contract with NHS England."

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK’S FORESTER