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Private Patients (Fees)

Volume 981: debated on Tuesday 25 March 1980

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8.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing, for the financial years 1978–79 and 1979–80, the amount of fees collected from private patients in National Health Service establishments, the amount of these payments which are regarded as arrears and the amount which has been written off as bad debts.

For the year 1978–79. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 28 January. The estimated figure for 1979–80 is £34 million.

Does not the Minister agree that bad debts from defaulting private patients in England and Wales now total between £250,000 and £500,000 a year, and that the accumulated debts over the last six years are now approaching £1 million? As the Government are so concerned about curbing public expenditure, can the Minister tell me what they propose to do to reduce that burden on the NHS? For example, will they consider levying the charge against the consultants who irresponsibly admit these people to private beds?

We think that the present arrangements are satisfactory. Bad debts from private patients are included in the total of all sums that are written off as bad debts. The total of bad debts from all sources, except road traffic accident claims, for the year 1978–79 was £302,112. We cannot identify how much of that sum relates specifically to bad debts arising from private patients.

Can my hon. Friend tell the House when and if he expects to make a statement on the abuse of the NHS by foreigners? Is that likely to happen before Easter? Does that by any chance include anyone coming from the Eastern bloc, say, Russia.

We have reciprocal arrangements with a number of different countries. My hon. Friend referred to Russia. As a part of the Government's response to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, we have postponed the fifth joint medical committee which was due to have met in London earlier this month to review the reciprocal agreements. We are also carefully vetting all Russian visitors to the United Kingdom under the agreement, and we shall reject any proposals for visits by Ministers or VIPs. We were involved—

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The Minister's reply is an abuse of Question Time, and I ask you to assert your authority on behalf of the House.

I have no responsibility for ministerial replies, but they should not be too long.