Since November 2002 primary care trusts have had powers to refer patients abroad directly at the national health service expense if they decide to but details of the costs and volumes of this activity are not collected centrally.
Figures are only available centrally for the number of people who receive authorisation for treatment in other member states of the European economic area and in Switzerland under the E112 referral scheme, in accordance with European Union Regulation (EEC) 1408/71. This regulation coordinates the social security and healthcare schemes of the member states.
Information about patients from England, Scotland and Wales referred abroad using the E112 procedure is shown as follows:
Number of E112s issued 2004 353 2005 228 2006 357