HC Deb 08 May 1984 vol 59 cc366-7W
Mr. Jackson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information is available to him as to (a) the numbers of United Kingdom citizens travelling to other countries of the European Community and making advance arrangements for reciprocal medical treatment by completing form E111, (b) the numbers of United Kingdom citizens receiving medical treatment abroad under this arrangement, (c) the numbers of citizens coming to the United Kingdom from other member countries of the European Economic Community, having made such arrangements and (d) the numbers of foreign citizens receiving medical treatment from the National Health Service under these reciprocal arrangements.

Mr. John Patten

While I regret information in the exact form requested is not available, the following may be of interest to my hon. Friend

  1. a. Just under 1.3 million forms El 1 1 were issued by our Department in 1983. However, many El 1 1 's are issued in respect of families and the total number of persons covered was, therefore, considerably larger. Visitors to Denmark and Ireland do not require El 11's.
  2. b. In 1982, approximately 12,000 United Kingdom nationals visiting France and 1,000 visiting Belgium sought immediately necessary treatment under the El 1 1 system. Similar information is not available in respect of visitors of the other member States.
  3. c. EC nationals visiting the United Kingdom do not require forms El 1 1 to receive immediately necessary treatment (and no comprehensive statistics of their numbers are available.)
  4. . With the exception of the small numbers who come here expressly for treatment, no statistics of the number of foreign citizens receiving NHS treatment under the EC reciprocal arrangements are collected centrally.