§ Mr. John Pattenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many Maltese nationals are receiving National Health Service treatment per year under the reciprocal agreement between the United Kingdom and Maltese Governments; what are the areas to which they are being referred; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. VaughanIn 1979–80, the Maltese Government referred 148 Maltese nationals to hospitals in the United Kingdom under the reciprocal health care agreement of 1975, distributed as follows:—
London Hospitals administered by boards of governors 38 Hospitals administered by area health authorities (teaching) 61 Outside London Northern regional health authority 1 Yorkshire regional health authority 2 Trent regional health authority 3 NW Thames regional health authority 1 NE Thames regional health authority 12 SE Thames regional health authority 4 Oxford regional health authority 22 W Midlands regional health authority 4 49 The Malta authorities can refer to the NHS up to 150 patients a year for treatment for which, in the opinion of the Malta authorities, adequate facilities do not exist in Malta. The arrangements are reviewed every two years with a view to keeping the cost to the United Kingdom of these referred patients broadly in balance with the cost to Malta of providing emergency treatment to United Kingdom visitors to Malta.