Health: Non-UK Residents

House of Lords written question – answered at on 16 June 2009.

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Photo of Lord Laird Lord Laird Crossbench

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 3 June (WA 94), why the necessary data were not collected to allow them to claim reimbursement from Latvia in 2007—08 for NHS services; and what is the sum potentially not claimed.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 3 June (WA 94), why the necessary data were not collected to allow them to claim reimbursement from Lithuania in 2007—08 for NHS services; and what is the sum potentially not claimed.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 3 June (WA 93), why the necessary data were not collected to allow them to claim reimbursement from Poland in 2007—08 for NHS services; and what is the sum potentially not claimed.

Photo of Lord Darzi of Denham Lord Darzi of Denham Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health)

The department understands that in the past, individual trusts have not collected necessary data on overseas visitors, as the required infrastructure has not been in place. The department has identified this issue and is currently piloting an improved overseas visitor data capture process in a number of trusts and intends to roll this out across the National Health Service (NHS) in October this year. This will allow the department to claim back for all the treatment provided by the NHS to overseas visitors and allow it to make an assessment of sums that were historically not claimed. Therefore, the department cannot currently assess the sums potentially not claimed.

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