§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what charges are in place for people using NHS services in Northern Ireland who do not reside in the United Kingdom; and whether these charges extend to citizens from(a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) other EU member states. [150669]
§ Angela SmithThe responsibility for calculating charges for private patients, or for patients who are not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, lies with Health and Social Services Trusts, each of which maintains its own list of charges. Residents of countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) are entitled to free treatment if they are taken ill while visiting Northern Ireland. Patients may also be referred to Northern Ireland for treatment of a specific condition under formal contractual arrangements between individual hospitals or health boards. With the exception of cross-border workers, visitors from the Republic of Ireland have the same entitlement to treatment as those from any other EEA country.