The health secretary has invited the Welsh and Scottish governments to discuss how best to tackle NHS waiting lists, as millions wait for hospital treatment across the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists one of his "five priorities", and he's said people should hold him to account if NHS waiting lists in England do not fall by January 2025.Knowing this could bite when it comes to an election campaign, UK government ministers are keen to argue things wouldn't be better under Labour or the SNP.
Scottish health minister Michael Matheson said: "Rather than attempting to involve themselves in devolved areas, the UK government would be well-served focusing on tackling the many issues in the health service south of the border." "The overall growth in waiting lists... has been smaller in Wales than in England over the last 12 months."
While there may be merits in discussing shared challenges and solutions, health has been used as a political attack line ever since the pandemic.