To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reclaim monies owed by foreign national visitors to the UK for services delivered by the NHS; and what his most recent assessment is of the amount of outstanding payments during their visits owed to the NHS for such services at the latest date for which figures are available. (196219)

Under the national health service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, it is for national health service trusts to determine which overseas visitors should pay for any hospital treatment provided to them and to make and recover charges. Where charges are found to apply they cannot be waived for any reason and trusts must take reasonable measures to recover any outstanding debts, which can include the use of debt collection agencies. The Department has issued comprehensive guidance to the NHS on this matter.

Successive governments have not required the NHS to provide statistics on the number of foreign visitors seen, treated or charged under the provisions of the charging regulations nor any costs involved. Therefore, it is not possible to provide information on the value of outstanding payments owed to the NHS.