National Health Service (Treatment)

HC Deb 11 November 1980 vol 992 cc173-4

5. Mr. Dubs

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances documentary evidence is requested before a person may receive treatment under the National Health Service.

Sir George Young

In an emergency, treatment is not, of course, delayed by any need for documents. In other circumstances, a patient might be asked to produce documents to resolve doubts as to his or her eligibility to receive NHS treatment, or possibly to assist staff in correctly recording the name and date of birth.

Mr. Dubs

Will the Minister give an assurance that it is not his intention that British citizens should ever be asked to produce British passports as a precondition for National Health Service treatment?

Sir G. Young

We have no plans to introduce any form of documentation as a routine before treatment is administered.

Mr. Robert Atkins

When does my hon. Friend expect to be able to introduce a scheme under which documentary evidence is required for those people from countries for which we have no reciprocal agreements for treatment? When will they have to present some form of evidence to show that they are not entitled to free medical treatment, and can therefore, be charged?

Sir G. Young

As my hon. Friend knows, we are looking at the question of treatment for overseas visitors. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to announce his conclusions before the end of the year.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

Is it not correct that there is no legal authority whatever for requiring any documentation before administering treatment on the NHS or, indeed, for any other purpose? Is not the real sting in the proposal that people who may be suspected of being overseas visitors but who are settled here would have to carry about with them their passport and other documents to prove who they were, and that such a practice would be totally different from that applying to those who were born in this country?

Sir G. Young

Eligibility to use the NHS at the moment is restricted basically to people who are ordinarily resident here, work permit holders, and persons staying for prolonged periods, so it is not the case that everyone in the country at the moment is entitled to NHS treatment. I would deplore any situation in which those from ethnic minorities were, as a matter of routine, asked for documentary evidence before treatment was administered. There is no evidence of that happening and I would deplore it if it did.