§ Dr. Richard TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the arrangements to be in place for NHS patients to travel abroad for their operations when they live outside a pilot site. [11252]
§ Mr. HuttonFollowing recent rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) it is clear that National Health Service bodies may commission treatment for NHS patients in other countries in the European Economic Area. However, this does raise a number of clinical, legal and quality issues. Officials are working through these issues with NHS colleagues in three test-bed sites, East Kent, Portsmouth and West Sussex/East Surrey, with the aim, if possible, of sending the first patients overseas for treatment by the end of the year. The Department will publish guidance for the rest of the NHS in England by the end of the year, based on the experience of the test-bed sites.
The Department also intends to establish through an open tendering process a list of approved foreign providers to assist primary care trusts planning to commission treatment abroad. It will take a number of months to put this in place.
Patients throughout the United Kingdom can already apply to travel overseas for treatment under the long-standing E112 scheme. This is of course subject to prior authorisation.
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§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if primary care trusts have the option to secure treatment for NHS patients in other European countries; [11044]
(2) what assessment he has made of the requirements for funding primary care trusts to support the European Court of Justice ruling of receiving NHS treatment abroad. [11046]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 1 November 2001]: Following recent rulings of the European Court of Justice it is clear that National Health Service bodies, including primary care trusts, may commission treatment for NHS patients in other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA).
It will be for local commissioners to decide whether or not to contract with health care providers in other EEA countries. Primary care trusts (PCTs) will need to meet the costs out of their budgets.
This is a new opportunity and freedom for PCTs. There is no requirement for PCTs to make use of this opportunity and it will remain a matter for local commissioners to decide how to use their budgets.
§ Mr. DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money is being made available to support the initiative to reduce waiting lists through the funding of operations for UK citizens in other European countries. [11662]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 1 November 2001]: Following recent rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) it is clear that National Health Service bodies may commission treatment for NHS patients in other countries in the European Economic Area.
It will be for local commissioners to decide whether or not to contract with health care providers in other EEA countries. Primary care trusts in England will need to meet the costs out of their budgets.
The decision to commission treatment for patients from Northern Ireland elsewhere in the European Economic Area is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.