§ Mr. Whiteheadasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the circumstances in which his Department will be encouraging National Health Service staff to serve abroad in support of the export drive; whether there is any truth in the suggestion that his Department will get a commission for each doctor sent abroad; and whether he sees his policy as leading to a deterioration 692W of service in the National Health Service.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe NHS is much admired overseas, and British doctors and other health staff have a long tradition of active participation in promoting the interchange of knowledge and skills between this country and others. Such interchanges do not necessarily involve the Department. The new factor with which the Department's recent Health Exports Circular was concerned was the importance in some circumstances of supporting our national export effort by the release of staff for key assignments overseas, or the arranging of training for overseas personnel. These occasions would normally be based on Government to Government approaches, but will also include cases where a consortium or firm is bidding for a particular contract. Staff who take up an overseas post in these circumstances are likely to be given leave of absence without pay by their NHS authority. In a few cases they may be seconded by their authority, which would be reimbursed for all the expenses incurred. In neither case is it envisaged that the Department would receive a commission.
My Department will be carefully considering the circumstances where such support seems merited, and I have particularly asked that authorities should not enter into any commitment on exportrelated projects without prior consultation with us, and without full consideration of the immediate local needs of the service. I do not envisage that many health staff will be needed for these key assignments overseas. Over the past year the Department has been asked for assistance for only some two dozen posts. I have no reason to fear that even with some increase in this level the standards in the NHS would suffer, and both my Department and the authorities will take care to ensure that their interests are safeguarded. This country can, however, benefit greatly from making such assistance available, in terms of the related opportunities for the increased export of British goods. Where our ability to sell our products turns on our ability to arrange to provide matching human resources I hope that hon. and right hon. Members will recognise the importance and share my desire to improve the balance of payments and to support 693W export effort which is vital for a strong British economy and indirectly also to the future advantage of the NHS.
Exports of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals in 1975 were worth £500 million; there are many opportunities for our industries to improve these figures still further. One estimate suggests that around 50,000 new hospital and health centre beds are being planned in the OPEC countries alone and it is vital to the United Kingdom that British firms should be encouraged to secure a high proportion of the business arising. But the competition is strong and they need whatever support we can appropriately give them. Criticisms of these initiatives are ill-founded.