Gloucestershire Health and Care- NHS Trust logo
with you, for you
Responses > 456-2023

Freedom of Information request 456-2023

Response published: 2 October 2023

FOI Request

I am writing to request the following information about the S2 funding agreement with the EU/EEA/Switzeland. The UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and UK-Swiss Social Security Coordination Convention continue to give patients in the UK access to the S2 scheme, if they meet the criteria, in the European Union and Switzerland. The deal gives reciprocal rights to access planned treatment in the UK for eligible residents of EU member states and Switzerland. Please provide the following information: 1. How many applications from UK patients for pre-planned treatment abroad have you approved in the following years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. 2. For patients requesting approval through the scheme, please provide the most frequently requested treatment type for each year: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. 3. How many EU/EEA/Swiss patients have you approved for pre-planned treatment at your trust under the S2 scheme in the following years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. 4. For EU/EEA/Swiss patients requesting treatment at your trust under the scheme, please provide the most frequently requested treatment type for each year: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

FOI Response

ICB are responsible for the commissioning of healthcare – a s2 entitles a patient to NHS funding for non-emergency treatment in an EU country or Switzerland, as NHS England has determined that the same or equivalent treatment cannot be provided to the patient on the NHS within a time period that’s medically justified.