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Medical Treatments: British Nationals Abroad

Asked by Michael WheelerLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 15 June 2026UIN 7320

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people travelling abroad for medical treatment; what estimate he has made of the number of complications caused by overseas treatment requiring NHS care; and what estimate ha has made of the cost to the public purse in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Karin Smyth

The Department does not have data on the number of people travelling abroad for medical treatment, of complications caused by overseas treatment, or of the overall costs to the National Health Service for treating complications from cosmetic procedures conducted overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.

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