Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-09-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 16 September (HL2100), whether they plan to remove the National Health Service ban on treating injured British military personnel who have undergone some private medical treatment, however small, for their injuries.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Any National Health Service patient is free to choose to fund privately a healthcare procedure, but as a result will generally be required to pay costs associated with that procedure. Whether the NHS provides on-going care is addressed on a case by case basis. Given the circumstances relating to a small number of very seriously injured veterans, NHS England is ensuring that they continue to receive on-going care. The NHS works closely with the Ministry of Defence to support injured service personnel through the transition process when they are discharged from the Armed Forces.

We do not plan to exempt serving personnel or veterans from the principles of the NHS, but will ensure that all the circumstances of individual cases are taken into account when making decisions on the care of serving personnel and veterans.