Press release: NHS Confederation comments on EC ruling on Yvonne Watts' case

16 May 2006

Commenting on the European Court ruling of the Yvonne Watts case today, Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation which represents more than 90 per cent of NHS organisations, said:

"This is a sensible judgement. It is absolutely right that people are treated on the basis of clinical need.
"More people are being treated more quickly than ever before by the NHS. This is a result of increased capacity and the Service becoming more efficient.

"As the NHS moves towards treating every patient within 18 weeks, problems like this should cease to be an issue. If patients do need to wait, then trusts will ensure that those patients are kept under review in case their situation should deteriorate.

"The Service is striving to become more patient-led. It seems unfair that patients who can afford to pay for treatment abroad and then claim back costs from their PCT take advantage of this situation. This could potentially have a negative impact on those patients who cannot afford to do this when the services in this country aren't as accessible.

"It must be wrong and completely inequitable to have a system where it is more affluent patients who receive treatment quicker as opposed to those with the highest clinical need."

ENDS

 

Notes for editors

1.       The NHS Confederation represents more than 90% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland. 

Contact details

Contact Senior Media Officer Amy Darlington on 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309.

Back to media centre