Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what guarantees, if any, they have made of the healthcare benefits available to British citizens residing in EU countries post-Brexit.

Subject to Parliament ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, in a deal scenario current reciprocal healthcare rights will continue during the implementation period until 31 December 2020. The Withdrawal Agreement and European Free Trade Area (EFTA) Agreements also give longer-term reciprocal healthcare rights to those who are living in or previously worked in the other country on exit day.

Further to this, on 19 March 2019 I laid a written statement (HLWS1396) outlining the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement includes specific guidance for United Kingdom nationals residing in EU countries post-exit.

The UK has proposed to EU Member States and EFTA states that we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements, in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal up until 31 December 2020.

As well as seeking an extension of the current arrangements, we have made a guarantee to EU member states that we will reimburse Member States for treatments that were ongoing on exit day, for up to one year where this is necessary.

This guarantee requires reciprocity from the EU or individual Member States and cannot be implemented unilaterally. The UK Government is seeking agreements with Member States, so that no individual, including UK nationals living in other EU Member States, will face sudden changes to their healthcare cover. These discussions are ongoing.

The Government has brought forward legislation to enable us to implement new reciprocal healthcare arrangements. The Healthcare (European Economic Area and Switzerland Arrangements) Act received Royal Assent on 26 March 2019 and will provide us with the power to fund and implement comprehensive reciprocal healthcare arrangements after we leave the EU. We have also laid three Statutory Instruments which will give us the specific legal basis to implement our proposal.

General information is available online on the GOV.UK website and country-specific advice can be found under the relevant sections of NHS.UK.