HL Deb 02 July 1981 vol 422 cc287-9

3.9 p.m.

Lord Wallace of Coslany

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidelines have been given to National Health authorities in order to establish the legal right of an individual to free admission to a hospital for treatment and care.

The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Baroness Young)

My Lords, the general policy on who may receive free National Health Service hospital treatment is in a memorandum of guidance issued in 1963, with some later letters on the eligibility of European Community nationals.

Lord Wallace of Coslany

My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that apart from the case of Mrs. Tissier reported in the Guardian of 22nd June, I have previously received representations from hospital staffs who found it extremely embarrassing to test doubtful cases vigorously? Secondly, she is aware of the racist undertones behind the Government's drive on alleged doubtful cases? In other words, the colour of a person's skin or doubtful command of English is most likely to arouse suspicion. Finally, what evidence do the Government have of wholesale abuse of the National Health Service to justify their action?

Baroness Young

My Lords, under the present arrangements, where the operation of checks on eligibility has been left very largely to local discretion, there have been a number of incidents reported in the press, and possibly others which have not attracted publicity, in which members of ethnic minorities have been asked to produce their passports merely because they have had foreign names. I do not, for one moment, condone this. I believe our new proposals will reduce that sort of thing. Regarding the other point raised by the noble Lord, which may well have been about complaints of discrimination at St. Stephen's Hospital, I should like to say that inquiries into these cases are still proceeding. I understand that the procedures at that hospital are under review.

Lord Wallace of Coslany

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that remark, but is she aware that one of the ideals held by those of us involved in the provision of a National Health Service was the parable of the good Samaritan, which now seems to be being abandoned? Further, in view of the fact that the Government are considering imposing charges on people from abroad, would they now drop these proposals which are causing so much irritation?

Baroness Young

My Lords, in the first place, the operation of what has been called "the good Samaritan treatment" is still in force. In the second place, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Services made it clear last week that after this period of consultation on his new proposals about charging those who are not resident for the National Health Service, he will not lay regulations until November, when there will have been an opportunity to consider the evidence and the views of the working party who will be looking at the detail of how the scheme will work.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, when the Secretary of State announced the setting up of the working party to review the charging of foreigners who have been resident in this country for less than three years, and when he also announced that the introduction of these charges would be deferred, he did not say—did he?—who was going to be on this working party and how interested persons could make representations. Would the noble Baroness circulate in the Official Report or have published in some other form information which will enable community relation officers, community health councils, and so on, to provide advice to the Government in good time, so that a further deferment of the Government's plans may not be necessary?

Baroness Young

My Lords, I can confirm now that the working party will be under a departmental chairman and will consist mainly of NHS representatives of various disciplines. We shall also invite the medical profession, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants to participate.