§ Mr. LilleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many citizens from countries outside the EU received treatment from the NHS in the most recent year for which the information is available; how much that treatment cost the NHS; and how much foreign patients' Governments reimbursed the UK for their treatment; [98501]
(2) how many citizens of each EU member state received treatment from the NHS in the most recent year for which the information is available; what was the cost to the NHS of that treatment; and what was the amount reimbursed to each member state for treatment of its citizens in the UK. [98500]
§ Ms StuartThere is no central record either of the numbers of patients not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom who receive treatment from the National Health Service or of the costs involved.
Patients not normally resident in the UK can be asked to pay for any non-emergency treatment given by a general practitioner or dentist. Patients requiring hospital treatment other than in an Accident and Emergency department are liable to be charged unless they are exempt from charges by virtue of the National Health Service (Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989.
Patients from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) are personally liable for charges unless the UK has a reciprocal health agreement with their home state. All the UK's reciprocal agreements with non-EEA 143W countries are on a cost-waiver basis with each of the parties bearing the cost of treating each other's people; no money changes hands between governments.
Within the EEA, Regulation (EEC) 1408–71 co-ordinates the healthcare schemes of the member states. In principle, each country is responsible for paying for treatment given to its own insured persons in other member states. The UK has bilateral cost reimbursement arrangements with most other EEA states, the terms of which vary from country to country. The table sets out an estimate of the amounts which the UK expects to receive from other EEA countries in respect of treatment provided during 1998–99:
£000 Estimated UK claims for inpatient/outpatient treatment Estimated UK claims for treating patients referred to the UK for treatment Total Austria 213 8 222 Belgium 1,056 26 1,082 Denmark1 — — — Finland1 — — — France 1,994 — 1,994 Germany2 2,078 111 2,189 Greece2 208 630 839 Iceland2 44 25 69 Ireland 3,546 2,958 6,504 Italy 511 3,094 3,606 Liechtenstein — — — Luxembourg1 — — — Netherlands 524 11 535 Norway1 — — — Portugal2 176 123 298 Spain 830 68 898 Sweden 568 55 623 All EEA Countries 11,748 7,109 318,859 1Countries which operate waiver agreement with the United Kingdom 2Estimates are based on proposed agreement and subject to final agreement by both parties 3Minor differences due to rounding