HC Deb 20 July 2004 vol 424 cc164-5W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether there are systematic checks on eligibility for free NHS treatment; [177792]

(2) what assessment has been made of the level of abuse of the NHS by people who have no right to free treatment. [177793]

Mr. Hutton

General practitioner practices need to check details of an individual's residence or previous registration before deciding whether to accept the person as a registered patient, either on a permanent or temporary basis. This is set out in regulations and guidance. For hospital services, regulations require the National Health Service Trust providing treatment to make such enquiries as it is satisfied are reasonable in all the circumstances, including the state of health of the overseas visitor

to determine a patient's chargeable status. Guidance makes clear that all patients should be asked baseline residency questions and to produce supporting basic evidence.

Following the launch of the consultation on "Proposals to Exclude Overseas Visitors from Eligibility to Free NHS Primary Medical Services", a copy of which is available in the Library, we are undertaking an evidence gathering study that will seek to identify to what extent visitors to England are obtaining free NHS treatment inappropriately. We are proposing to publish the results of this in conjunction with the outcome of the consultation in autumn 2004. In addition, we have just started a study of 12 NHS trusts across the country, including monitoring impact of use by European Union accession countries.