Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has recouped from EU member states whose nationals have received emergency treatment from the NHS in each of the last five years.

Under European Union regulations, other European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland reimburse the United Kingdom for the cost of the National Health Service providing treatment to people they are responsible for under EU law, including UK nationals insured in another EEA country or Switzerland. In the same way, the UK Government reimburses other EEA countries and Switzerland for the cost of providing treatment to people we are responsible for under EU law, irrespective of nationality.

Due to the complexities associated with collecting and aggregating information on costs and treatment, claims for EEA medical costs are typically submitted by EEA member states (including the UK) up to three, and sometimes more, years in arrears. Therefore, claims for any 12 month period do not necessarily reflect treatment provided in that period.

Requested figures are provided in the attached excel sheet rounded to the nearest pound. They include the claims for all treatments (not just emergency treatments).

Figures for 2016–17 should be published over the summer.