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Overseas Patients

Volume 457: debated on Monday 5 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been invoiced by the NHS to other countries in the European Union for services received by those countries’ citizens in England and Wales for the last financial period for which figures are available, broken down by country. (115184)

The Department is the Competent Institution for the United Kingdom matters with the European Union for implementing Regulations 1408/71 and 572/72 in the UK. Under the terms of these regulation reimbursements are settled for the whole UK rather than the constituent parts.

The following table shows, in resource terms, the estimated costs of treatment provided by the national health service for persons insured in other European Economic Area (EEA) member states under the terms of Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72, which the UK would reclaim from the states concerned. These are estimated claims in accordance with existing arrangements under Regulation 574/72. During 2005-06 the UK charged £56.7 million for the treatment provided up to March 2006 by the NHS.

Estimated claims against other EEA member states 2005-06:

£000

Country

2005-06

Austria

474

Belgium

2,182

France

3,312

Germany

16

Greece

807

Iceland

9

Ireland

20,742

Italy

4,034

Netherlands

1,699

Portugal

3

Spain

815

Sweden

773

Notes:

1. The information is compiled in line with the requirements of “Government Accounting 2000” and National Audit Office (NAO) and used for Resource Accounting and Budging (RAB) purpose during 2005-06.

2. Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest thousand.

3. Claims against new member states would be included in future years.

4. We have a waiver arrangements with a number of member states which means they have agreed to bear the costs of each other insured persons.