News

7th June 2005

Conservative MEPs put patient care top of the agenda

Conservative proposals would give more choice to patients facing long hospital waits under Labour.

Conservative proposals that would make it easier for hospital patients to travel to other EU states for treatment - and escape Labour's NHS waiting lists - are set to be adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday 8 June. A report presented by John Bowis MEP, Conservative Health Spokesman in the European Parliament and a former Minister for Health, defines the rights of EU citizens to seek treatment abroad if they find that their treatment is not available or will require a long wait under their own national health system.

John's report follows a series of rulings by the European Court of Justice granting rights to patients facing undue delays in their home country to seek treatment in other European countries and then be reimbursed by their own national health system. The report calls for clear guidelines so that patients can exercise their rights and to enable health authorities to manage patient mobility.  Mr Bowis said:  "There have been a number of cases in the past where patients in the UK have been forced to endure exceptionally long waiting times when they could have gone to another EU Member State to have the operation immediately.  "British patients should be given the choice of easy access to the healthcare system of other EU Member States, particularly after eight years of Labour's failure to tackle unacceptably long waiting times. Parliament's adoption of my report will enhance patient choice."