§ Baroness Uddinasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which European and non-European countries have already accepted or are in the process of accepting patients from Britain for medical care. [HL3824]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)Under the pilot scheme to send patients overseas for NHS-comissioned elective surgery, France and Germany accepted a total of 181 patients for treatment between 18 January and 12 April 2002. NHS bodies at present have no power to commission treatment outside the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA comprises the European Union countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Between 1 January and 12 April 2002 the Department of Health approved applications under the E112 scheme from patients for approval to travel to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portual, Spain and Sweden. In the same period the department has also approved the referral of patients to Switzerland on an ex gratin basis.