Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what stage in a patient's treatment in an NHS hospital identification is requested; and in the case of non-EU residents, at what point (a) it is established that they are required to pay for their treatment and (b) they are informed of the total amount payable.

Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Bristol South, Labour)

The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, place a legal obligation on providers of NHS hospital services to establish whether patients are ordinarily resident in the UK and, if not, whether they are exempt from charges under the provisions of the regulations or liable to pay for any treatment provided. The Department of Health has provided comprehensive guidance on implementation of the charging regulations to help NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts to discharge their obligations under these regulations.

All patients attending hospital for the first time in a course of treatment should be asked specific residency questions. Depending on the answers, the patient may be referred to the hospital's overseas visitors manager for further inquiries to be made. This should be done as soon as is reasonably practicable, taking into account the patient's medical condition. Where it is established that the patient is a chargeable overseas visitor, they should be informed as soon as possible of the estimated cost of the treatment being sought. In the case of routine elective treatment, guidance recommends that a deposit equivalent to that estimated cost should be obtained before treatment begins. However, immediate necessary treatment required to preserve life or to prevent a condition from becoming life-threatening should be provided without delay, with issues around charging and payment dealt with once the patient has been stabilised.