§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which Continental European hospitals are in negotiation with his Department about the treatment of NHS patients. [24322]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 8 January 2002]: Officials in the Department and National health service staff in the three test-bed sites working to send NHS patients overseas have had meetings with several providers based in France and Germany and a provider based in Greece. There have been visits to France and Germany.
A group of patients will shortly travel for treatment to Polyclinique de la Louviere in Lille, France.
In addition, officials have corresponded with a large number of hospital providers, details of which will be placed in the Library shortly.