§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that, following the implementation of the relevant sections of the National Health Service and Community Care Act, allowance will be made for sums to be paid by the health authorities of patients who receive emergency or other treatment while on holiday in another district health authority area to be held over for expenditure in the succeeding financial year.
§ Mr. GristPatients will of course be entitled to emergency treatment while on holiday, and it is the responsibility of each health authority to provide adequate accident and emergency cover in its area. When a patient is admitted to hospital for emergency treatment, the authority in which he or she lives will be responsible for meeting the costs of the treatment required. There will be no question of patients being unable to get treatment they urgently need because of uncertainty over payment. Health authorities will need to set aside funds for such eventualities, and we expect settlements to be made promptly—normally within the financial year—to protect the financial position of the hospitals providing treatment.