Calais Hospital has a partnered with NHS South Kent Clinical Commissioning Group to provide elective treatment to NHS patients.
The Centre Hospitalier de Calais is prepared to take on NHS patients for elective treatment from and its website says it is “part of the UK NHS system”.
The Calais hospital. built in 2012, has state of the art equipment, no waiting list and patients can be seen within weeks.
The hospital has even installed English signage, designed part of its website in English and trained doctors and nurses in English medical terminology.
On its website the hospital says;
“Just five minutes from the Eurotunnel and ferry terminals, Calais Hospital opened in 2012 and offers state-of-the-art facilities to rival the best private healthcare provision in east Kent”.
Rob Hustwayte, the commissioning groups’ spokesman, says patients have a right to choose where they receive NHS treatment. He said;
“We would encourage local people to consider the options of using hospitals in France and England when discussing treatment with their GP”.
Despite the promise of state-of-the-art facilities and no waiting lists the French hospital says it has only received two referrals – one last year and one this year as many patients opt to wait for an appointment in their home country.