Health Services: EU Nationals

(asked on 3rd September 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure doctors will not be asked to determine patients’ eligibility for healthcare in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.


Answered by
Chris Skidmore Portrait
Chris Skidmore
This question was answered on 9th September 2019

Doctors will not be required to determine patients’ entitlement for free National Health Service care in any European Union exit scenario. A clinician’s role is to provide the relevant healthcare for patients and make decisions on their treatment based on their clinical needs. Clinicians will at times be required to make a decision on whether treatment is immediately necessary, urgent or can safely wait until the individual leaves the UK for those patients identified as not eligible for NHS-funded care, as this will determine when payment has to be taken.

The Department is working closely with other Government departments and the NHS to ensure that NHS staff receive appropriate information in relation to any changes to policy or procedure as a result of leaving the EU in a timely and appropriate manner.

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