To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether doctors will be required to determine a patient's eligibility for healthcare in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered on
9 September 2019
Doctors will not be required to determine patient’s entitlement for free National Health Service healthcare in any European Union exit scenario. A clinician’s role is to provide the relevant healthcare for patients and make decisions on their treatment based on their clinical needs. Clinicians will at times be required to make a decision on whether treatment is immediately necessary, urgent or can safely wait until the individual leaves the United Kingdom for those patients identified as not eligible for NHS-funded care, as this will determine when payment has to be taken.