Mrs. RenéeShort asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report his Department's circular to hospital administrators in October entitled "Gatecrashers".
§ Dr. VaughanA letter was sent on 3 October to area health authorities in the London area and one using the same text went to the boards of governors of the post graduate teaching hospitals.
The text of the letters is as follows:
There have been a number of reports in the press recently alleging widespread abuse of the NHS by visitors from overseas who have come here specifically to seek treatment but who nevertheless manage to obtain NHS treatment because they present as emergencies. It has been alleged that the embassies of some countries have assisted their nationals in circumventing the usual safeguards.The allegations refer to a small number of hospitals, but with the implication that this is a widespread abuse. The Department is not 645W however aware of any evidence to support this inference and, on previous occasions, when the Department has asked Areas to investigate similar allegations in order that representations might be made to the embassies concerned, very little hard information was brought to light. Nevertheless, the fact that the allegations continue to be made by staff of some hospitals suggests that hospitals should be asked to review their arrangements for enforcing the existing principles of eligibility. It should be pointed out that all staff concerned with admissions—administrative and medical—have a part to play in ensuring that the principles of eligibility are adherred to. Where medical staff arrange admissions, they are responsible for applying these principles and when in doubt they should seek the advice of administrative staff. It is suggested that the following should be brought to the attention of all staff:An ineligible patient who has been admitted as a clinical emergency and is then found to have come to this country in order to obtain treatment should where practicable be transferred as quickly as possible to private patient status. DHSS (Regional Principal) should be informed of any case of apparent abuse which seems to involve collusion with an embassy.
- i. Visitors from abroad who are not ordinarily resident and who have come specifically for treatment are not eligible to receive NHS treatment unless they are covered by EEC Regulations or the reciprocal agreement with the Channel Islands, Malta, Gibraltar and the USSR and the appropriate advance arrangements have been made.
- ii. The 'Good Samaritan' policy of giving emergency treatment to visitors applies only to people who fall ill or have accidents in this country and to exacerbations, arising in this country, of pre-existing conditions where treatment cannot wait until the patient returns home.