Asked by: Jim Dowd (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have access to oxygen therapy when travelling abroad; for what reason the NHS contractor in England no longer provides that service; and if his Department will instruct the contractor to fully inform COPD patients about the provision of oxygen therapy when they are travelling abroad.
Answered by Jane Ellison
There are four oxygen suppliers covering England. They have never been contracted to supply oxygen for people travelling outside of the United Kingdom (UK). Oxygen for use on holiday is only available free of charge for trips in the UK, and can be arranged through the patients current oxygen provider or a general practitioner. Oxygen suppliers in the UK have leaflets that are available to patients setting out the arrangements for people wishing to go on holiday. If a patient is holidaying in Europe oxygen can be arranged through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme with a valid EHIC. The Department’s Call Centre can supply the relevant contact details of officials in European countries. The person travelling will need to contact the authorised oxygen company for the country they are travelling to in order to make the necessary arrangements required to book state-funded Oxygen Therapy equipment. If they are travelling outside Europe, they will need to contact an oxygen company that supplies the country they will be visiting. To find an oxygen provider outside the UK, the individual can contact the British consulate in the country they are travelling to, an oxygen supplier in the UK, or the British Lung Foundation.