EU-wide health care plan discussed

Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou will present the proposals to help European citizens choose where they are treated to the Public Health Committee of the European Parliament.

Labour MEP Linda McAvan, who is a member of the Public Health Committee, said: "For many years, individual people have been going to the European Court of Justice to establish their rights to treatment in another country."

"Legislation in this area will be helpful if it provides clarity to the public about the rules which apply when seeking treatment abroad and if it helps health systems to manage requests for treatment in other EU countries."

Mrs McAvan, who is MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, added: "While cross border healthcare might be useful, it is the NHS that must decide what treatment it pays for if UK patients choose to travel abroad for care."

"Case law already exists from the European Court of Justice which allows patients who wish to receive care abroad to do so, and this has not resulted in a large number of people wanting to go abroad for treatment or a large number of other EU nationals seeking treatment in the UK."

"The priority for the vast majority of NHS patients is high quality healthcare received close to their homes."

Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour's chairman of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee which this year produced a report on health services in the EU, warned the European Commission not to raise false expectations that patients can access healthcare in Europe "anywhere at any cost".

"The right to access healthcare in other EU countries must not undermine the integrity and financing of the NHS and it mustn't disadvantage those who don't have the cash to pay up front for treatment," she said.

The draft proposals will be subject to amendments and change by MEPs and ministers from member states, and may take several years to become law in Britain.