Government publishes consultation responses
Action to establish a more balanced charging
regime for overseas visitors, including tackling health tourism
was promised today by Public Health Minister Anne Milton following
publication of two consultations on charging overseas visitors for
NHS hospital care.
The Department of Health and Home Office consultations followed a
2009 review that set out to examine the rules on charging overseas
visitors for access to NHS services in England. The Government has
decided to adopt the consultation proposals but believe that we
should go further. The limited remit of the consultation does not
go far enough and further measures are needed to provide a balance
of fairness and affordability in the provision of NHS treatment
for overseas visitors.
The Home Office measures for the UK include:
Anyone owing the NHS £1,000 or more will not be allowed to come
or stay in the UK until the debt is paid off. It is hoped the
£1000 threshold, which will be implemented later this year will
capture 94 per cent of outstanding charges owed to the NHS.
To enforce this action, which will help to reduce health tourism,
the NHS will provide information to the UK Border Agency to enable
it to identify the debtors when they make their application to
return or stay in the UK.
NHS measures for England include:
Extending the time UK residents can spend abroad without losing
their automatic entitlement to free hospital treatment from three
months to six months;Allowing the small number of failed asylum
seekers co-operating on registered Home Office support schemes to
be exempt from charges (but not other failed asylum seekers who
refuse to return home); andGuarantee free hospital treatment for
unaccompanied children while under local authority care.
The need for a further review
The previous review and consultation did not go far enough. The
existing system is still too complex, generous and inconsistently
applied. While the NHS remains committed to providing immediate or
necessary care, it is important that a balance of fairness and
affordability is also struck.
A full review of the rules and practice will now be undertaken
and will consider:
qualifying residency criteria for free treatment;the full range
of other current criteria that exempt particular services or
visitors from charges for their treatment;whether visitors should
be charged for GP services and other NHS services outside of
hospitals;establishing more effective and efficient processes
across the NHS to screen for eligibility and to make and recover
charges; andwhether to introduce a requirement for health
insurance tied to visas.
Access for European Union residents is determined by separate EU
regulations. The review will not consider changes to these regulations.
Anne Milton said:
“The NHS has a duty to anyone whose life or long-term health is
at immediate risk, but we cannot afford to become an international
health service, providing free treatment for all.
“These changes will begin the process of developing a clearer,
robust and fairer system of access to free NHS services which our
review of the charging system will complete. I want to see a
system which maintains the confidence of the public while
preventing inappropriate free access and continuing our commitment
to human rights and protecting vulnerable groups."
Damian Green, Immigration Minister said:
“The NHS is a national health service not an international one.
If someone does not pay for their treatment we will not let them
back into the country.
“We need robust controls to protect our public services.”
Notes to Editors
1. For more information please contact the DH newsdesk on 020
7210 5221 2. For more information on the change to immigration
rules contact Home Office newsdesk on 020 7035 3535 3. The full
consultation response can be accessed here:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Responsestoconsultations/DH_1252714.
The new review is expected to complete in late autumn and the
proposals will then be consulted upon.5. The UK has an
international obligation to provide free NHS treatment to those
seeking asylum here under the UN Convention on human rights. We
will continue to fulfil this obligation.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk