UK Parliament / Open data

Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill

Yes. It might have been part of the backstop agreement in the old days, I do not know.

The second limb of Amendment 8 is to say that although care is free to NHS patients in the United Kingdom, the object of the support is to put people in the same position in other countries as if they were residents of that country. Of course, care is not free in other countries. In a significant number of EU countries—I think about half—some out-of-pocket expenses are required in relation to their healthcare provision, which would not necessarily be reimbursed. We should not expect to pay more than would be the case if somebody were a resident of that country. The expectation should not be that because the NHS is a free service here, there should be a free service everywhere.

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Those are the purposes of my amendments. They are grouped with Amendments 17 to 19, which I will say nothing about other than it seems, on the face of it, that the Government want to achieve those objectives. I am rather hopeful that the Minister will be able to give that assurance. It would therefore not normally be necessary to put into the Bill those things which the Government intend to achieve in any case, and which do not require statutory backing. However, I am rather hopeful that she will see some merit in at least thinking about Amendments 7 and 8, and whether the Government should be clear about how far they should go—and where they should not go—on payments or persons for whom payments are made. I beg to move.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

795 c2215 

Session

2017-19

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords chamber
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