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| English patients prepare for surgery Doctors in France will begin surgery this weekend on nine British patients sent to them for treatment to reduce NHS waiting times. The group were admitted to the private La Louviere hospital in Lille on Friday, following a trip from Ashford in Kent on Eurostar. Managers in the south-east of England plan to send 200 patients abroad at the taxpayers' expense by the end of March. They refused to say how much the treatment for cataract and joint operations is costing, but it will be met by the NHS. This is a quick fix, short-term solution to reduce the number of patients waiting more than a year for routine operations as set out in the NHS plan. The decision to use foreign hospitals to tackle waiting times was made by Health Secretary Alan Milburn last October, under pressure from a European court judgement three months earlier. Judges said patients had the right to be referred elsewhere in the EU if they could not get treatment without "undue delay" in their home country. Mr Milburn said the vast majority of patients would continue to be treated by the NHS. However, health authorities and primary care trusts would be able to commission services from other European countries as part of their wider efforts to reduce waiting times for NHS treatment. Target areas Chief executive of the Channel primary care group in Kent, Peter Huntley, said: "The important thing is this initiative will add to the options available and will reduce waiting times for everyone." They have been chosen because they are all areas with waiting time pressures and are close to key, rapid transport links to mainland Europe. But there is concern about the ethics of going down this route and whether it is designed to divert attention from the issue of the need to improve the NHS. Complaints procedure Liberal Democrat health spokesman Dr Evan Harris said: "The worry is they haven't worked out who will be blamed if things go wrong." Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox said sending patients abroad was a "national humiliation". Bob Abberley from the health union Unison, said: "What we would be against is if this was seen as an alternative to making sure we have got enough beds and enough operating theatres and enough staff." But the Department of Health spokeswoman insisted: "As far as we are concerned the government is investing heavily in capacity in the UK, but while that's happening we believe it is appropriate to use surplus capacity elsewhere in the EU." If anything went wrong, patients would have the same rights as if they were having treatment in this country, she said. Health reforms A total of 23 patients from the target areas were assessed by French doctors at the William Harvey hospital, Ashford, earlier this week to confirm they were fit to travel. A second group will follow the first nine patients before the end of the month and there will be regular pilots until the end of March. The hospital is looking at different hospitals beyond Lille and the pilots may move beyond France. The patients will be accompanied by translators. English language newspapers and television will be available. All patients' costs will be covered by the health trust, but any accompanying relatives will have to pay their own expenses. Dr Philippe Boucquilon of La Louviere hospital said: "We are proud to be involved in this project and we will, of course, ensure that patients' stays in France are as comfortable as possible." The government's aim is to reform the health service to ensure NHS patients wait an average of just seven weeks for an operation in English hospitals by 2005. Cataract: NHS £880 Private £2,000 France £1,000 Hip: NHS £3,900 Private £7,600 France £4,000 Knee: NHS £4,400 Private £8,500 France £3,000 19th January 2002 |
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