Cross-border healthcare

The European Commission published a draft Directive in July 2008 regarding patients' rights to use health care in all the Member States of the European Economic Area.

The draft Directive defines cross-border healthcare as "healthcare provided in a Member State other than that where the patient is an insured person or healthcare provided in a Member State other than that where the healthcare provider resides, is registered or is established".

By this Directive, the Commission aims to:

"establish a general framework for provision of safe, high quality and efficient cross-border healthcare in the Community and to ensure patients mobility and freedom to provide healthcare and high level of protection of health, whilst fully respecting the responsibilities of the Member States for the definition of social security benefits related to health and the organisation and delivery of healthcare and medical care and social security benefits in particular for sickness."

The draft Directive sets outs patients' rights to use 'other' Member States' health services and to reimbursement from their 'home' Member State, and requires Members States to ensure that implementation mechanisms are in place. The final version of the Directive will apply to all European healthcare systems and services, including the NHS.

Amendments to the draft Directive are currently being negotiated by Member States. The Department of Health conducted a consultation exercise to inform the UK Government's negotiating position. The consultation closed on 3 December.

Read Picker Institute Europe's Icon: Acrobat PDFconsultation response.

Last updated: 23rd December 2009