§ Dr. Glynasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to clarify the provisions of the National Health Service Act 1946 so as to establish beyond doubt that a health authority may not discriminate between United Kingdom citizens who choose to consult a primary care physician under the National Health Service and those who choose to consult a private primary health care physician in terms of access to secondary National Health Service health care facilities.
§ Dr. VaughanAll persons normally resident in the United Kingdom may use the NHS secondary, that is, hospital, services. Some health authorities also arrange direct access to certain other services such as pathology, radiology and physiotherapy, that is, without an out-patient consultation, to patients of general practitioners, but this is not invariable and is at the health authority's discretion. Usually such a service is available to general practitioners for their private patients. In these circumstances legislation is not necessary at the moment.