Calais Hospital failing to attract British patients

Centre Hospitalier de Calais has an agreement with NHS England to offer UK patients free medical treatment in France. Numbers so far are few.

Two years ago, the Centre Hospitalier de Calais (Calais Hospital) signed a revolutionary agreement with NHS England, the public body that oversees the day-to-day running of the health service, to offer patients free medical treatment.  NHS patients can now choose to have their elective consultant opinion and subsequent hospital treatment at this Calais hospital.

The hospital has a partnership with NHS South Kent Cost Clinical Commissioning Group to provide elective care to NHS patients in a range of specialisms including ENT, general surgery, gynaecology, MSK/orthopaedics, urology and pain management.

Just five minutes from the Eurotunnel and ferry terminals, Calais Hospital opened in 2012 and offers state-of-the-art facilities to rival private healthcare provision in east Kent. It can offer patients significantly reduced waiting times, typically less than four weeks from referral to treatment. Doctors and nurses who speak English care for patients.

Despite articles in the UK media, and coverage by both British and French television channels, the capacity of 400 British patients a year is not challenged. The hospital is reluctant to issue numbers, but the trickle of patients may be as few as 20 in two years.