Wales now has more NHS patients than people as English flock over the border for free prescriptions

The official population of the principality is 2.9million, yet three million are registered with GPs.

The discrepancy flagged up allegations of "medical apartheid" across the UK because prescription charges have been scrapped in Wales.

There are claims that English homeowners near the border register with Welsh doctors to avoid the £7.10 prescription fee.

Darren Millar, a Tory member of the Welsh Assembly, said: "These shocking figures show there is a serious problem and we must tackle prescription tourism sooner rather than later.

"There has been a 5 per cent increase in the number of NHS prescriptions in Wales in a year."

Last month, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain called for a review of prescription charges for the English.

A spokesman for the Assembly, which released the figures, said the difference between the numbers registered with GPs and the population was to be expected.

She added: "It is a long-standing problem across the UK and is mainly caused by people registering with a new practice before deregistering with their existing practice."

Yesterday the shocking statistic reignited the row over the different services provided by tax-payers to the English, Scottish and Welsh.

Some accused English homeowners of acting as "health tourists" by registering with GPs on the cheaper side of the border.

Others claimed that the anomaly high-lighted an unfair system which sees patients in the UK being treated differently on the grounds of their nationality.

Wales is the only part of the United Kingdom to have no prescription charges.

England has the highest cost at £7.10, followed by Northern Ireland with £6.85 and Scotland at £5.

The discrepancy is seen as one example of the "medical apartheid" where patients in the devolved nations of the UK receive better services than those in England - despite paying less per head in tax.

Scots also get free personal care for the elderly and access to a range of treatments not available in England, such as Aricept, Reminyl and Exelon, all used for treating Alzheimer's disease.

The English Department of Health says it will not abolish prescription charges, because it would mean diverting resources from other parts of the NHS.

Last month the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain entered the debate by calling for a review of prescription charges for the English.

Paul Bennett, of the society's English pharmacy board, said: "We urgently need a review of the current system of prescription charges and exemptions in England.

"They are presently both illogical and unfair."

Asthma and arthritis sufferers were among those missing out most because of chronic conditions, he said.

Yesterday Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Jenny Randerson said: "There are many problems with free prescriptions, not least the cost that no-one knows about."

She alleged that the Assembly Government had refused to investigate the free prescriptions system because it had cost millions more than planned.

She said the cost of free prescriptions had hit other parts of the health service in Wales denying patients treatment for critical care.

But the chairman of the British Medical Association, Wales, Dr David Bailey said: "The extra patients may be students or people who have come to Wales to work."

An Assembly spokeswoman said: "There is no evidence to suggest that patients are coming to Wales to benefit from free prescriptions.

"There has historically been a difference between the number of people registered with GPs and the population.

"It is a long-standing problem across the UK and is mainly caused by people registering with a new practice before de-registering with their existing practice."