§ 30. Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate she has made of the number of patients visiting the United Kingdom from overseas, and particularly the Middle East and oil producing countries, on a fee-paying basis as private patients and to the National Health Service; and what is the contribution to the balance of payments.
§ Dr. OwenForeign residents visiting this country for treatment are expected to obtain it as private patients. I have, however, no information on the number of those who do so outside the NHS; and within the NHS I have no details of the proportion of revenue from private patients which was contributed by patients resident overseas.