Patients receiving healthcare across the Wales-England border are at risk of "falling through the gaps" between two NHS systems, MPs have warned.

The House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee said long-standing problems, including difficulties transferring patient data, accessing specialist treatment and arranging transport to appointments, continue to affect patients despite being highlighted more than a decade ago.

The committee said it was concerned by a lack of urgency in tackling the issues, which were first raised by its predecessor in 2015.

MPs heard evidence from all seven Welsh health boards and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee as part of an ongoing inquiry into cross-border healthcare. The inquiry is being carried out jointly with the Senedd's Health and Social Care Committee.

In a statement, the Welsh Affairs Committee said: "It is unacceptable these issues are still ongoing today. Patients should not have to face unnecessary barriers to receive the treatment they deserve."

The committee said patients with straightforward treatment pathways generally reported positive experiences, but warned that more complex referral systems could leave people unsure who was responsible for their care.

It added: "Responsibility and accountability can become unclear, leaving patients unsure who to turn to for support. We want to ensure that patients' experiences are prioritised and protected when using cross-border healthcare."

The committee also said it was concerned the "patient voice is being lost amongst the statistics" and stressed that improving patient outcomes should remain the priority.

Chair of the Senedd's Health and Social Care Committee, Jayne Bryant MS, said healthcare "should not be made more difficult by the existence of two different systems".

She added: "For those travelling between Wales and England for healthcare, challenges have persisted for years and require action from both the Welsh and UK Governments.

"“As a new committee in a new Senedd, we are eager to get to work. We want to help drive improvements for patients and ensure that no one falls through the gaps."