The Yvonne Watts Case: EU encroaches on health care
Robert Oulds
 Press Release
For Immediate
Release
 The European Court of Juctice ruling
delivered on Tuesday, 16th May regarding the case of Yvonne Watts, who because
of the long NHS waiting lists had to go abroad to recieve treatment, has a
greater impact than simply allowing one person to have the costs of a hip
operation reimbursed. It paves the way for the EU to extend its powers into
the area of health care.
Apart from the obvious decision regarding the reimbursement of medical costs
incurred overseas, the decision also impacts on the areas below:
- Targets - the governments policy of targets has been
rubbished, with the principles of "undue delay" and clinical need taking
primacy over Ministerial decisions.
Most importantly, however, is that;
- The NHS becomes open to EU control - the British
Government attempted to argue that the unique nature of the NHS meant that it
was not an area in which EU was relevant has been overturned. This leaves the
EU free to begin interfering in British health care matters. In short, NHS
health care now has the legal status of any other commodity and service which
can be bought and sold and will therefore become a subject for EU regulation
just like every other transaction.
The Bruges Group originally exposed how the future of the NHS will be directed
at an EU level. Through successive treaties and recent legal cases health
provision is set to be run by the same organisation that brought us the CAP
and the CFP.
Click
here to read the Bruges Group's research on how heath care is steadily coming
under the contro of the EU
 Dr Lee Rotherham , expert on the impact of the EU on
the NHS and author of the Bruges Group paper Health and the Nation
says,
"This has long been on the cards. It's the Social Chapter all over again -
Government policy is being overturned by the back door. This may well be good
news personally for Mrs Watts, but it will cause mayhem for the NHS budget
planners, who aren't in the best of shape right now."
-
ENDS -
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Notes for
Editors
Click here to obtain full details of the ECJ
ruling
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For
further information contact:
Robert Oulds
Director
The Bruges Group
232 Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB
UK
Tel: +44(0) 20 7287 4414
Mobile: 0774 002 9787
E-mail: info@brugesgroup.com
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