NHS: Treatment of Children from Other Countries

Debate between Lord Beamish and Baroness Merron

Thursday 21st November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The agreements that the UK has in place which contain referral arrangements whereby the funding is discussed and agreed as part of the process of the referral are with the member states of the EU, Switzerland, the EFTA-EEA bloc of countries, the British Crown dependencies and some overseas territories. As the noble Lord rightly acknowledges, it is only fair that those using the NHS are those contributing to it, and we therefore have to ensure that we stick to those agreements. If trusts seek to undertake work outside of that area, that will be a matter for individual trusts, which will have to make decisions about their funding and their requirements to serve the NHS.

[Lord Beamish (Lab)]

Will my noble friend the Minister join me in congratulating the heart transplant unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, particularly the unit which conducts children’s heart transplants, providing a great service not just for this country but for children from across the world? One of the issues, though, is trying to encourage donors to come forward. What more can be done to encourage donors, specifically children, to come forward?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am very happy to add my congratulations to the hospital, which my noble friend knows very well. There are several approaches that we take on donors. One is the increased use of technology to ensure that organs donated can be used when and where needed. We tend to lose a lot of organs because that is not possible to do, depending on the technology. Another approach is to ensure that organ donation is a route that people are assured they can take, feel confident in, and are willing to participate in, including where somebody has died and we must deal very delicately, of course, with their loved ones.