§ 55. Mr. Snowasked the Minister of Health why Thallisthene Tsangaridou, now deceased, was not granted medical attention under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodTreatment could have been provided under the National Health Service, but immediate admission cannot of course be guaranteed.
§ Mr. SnowIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the operation in question was carried out by the generosity of a professional who was involved and that a rather unpleasant reaction is felt by some people that this Cypriot, for whom we are responsible, did not have immediate attention or did not take her place in the normal queue of people at the hospitals and was, in fact, refused admission under the National Health Service?
§ Mr. MacleodThe position is not quite like that; perhaps I can make it clear. If people are in this country, either temporarily or permanently, they 32 have a right to the benefits of the National Health Service, but, naturally, their cases must then be considered in the ordinary list of priority with people in this country. Obviously, that is only fair and right. There would have been a short waiting period of about three weeks for this particular illness, which was a rare liver disease. The girl, most unhappily, died under the operation. But I think that my policy in this matter is clear: that people in this country, from wherever they come, do get the benefits of the National Health Service, but that special arrangements for priority admission cannot be made.
§ Mr. SnowWas this lady refused treatment under the National Health Service, or was that a mistake in the newspaper reports?
§ Mr. MacleodI do not think she was ever refused. There was a misunderstanding at Hammersmith about the policy which I have just enunciated, and I hope that what I have said will make it clear.