Universal health-care-scheme members can go to any hospital in the country at any time, Public Health Deputy Minister Wicharn Meenchainant says.

He explains the National Health Security Office has "agreed to cancel limited emergency health-care services outside registered hospitals and approved the new unlimited service".

He says this means people will have access to all hospitals in emergencies.

It will make it easier for people to get treatment quickly, he adds.

Until now, scheme members have been limited to just two visits to a hospital they have not nominated as their preferred place of treatment.

A national study conducted outside of Bangkok shows about half of one per cent of scheme members uses a hospital other than the one they registered at. In Bangkok, the figure is about 4 per cent.