The Department of Health has announced plans to levy an immigration health surcharge for non-EEA nationals who “apply for a visa to enter or remain in the UK for more than six months”. It has also announced that all overseas visitors and migrants will be charged for A&E services, ambulance care and most GP services. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the NHS would recover £500 mn every year which would be “put back into frontline patient care.” UK government’s independent advisor on cost recovery, Sir Keith Pearson, will head a consultation starting Monday which will continue until 6 March, 2016.
Overseas visitors and migrants currently pay for non-urgent operations, in-patient treatment and follow-up care as an outpatient. According to the changes in health charges for overseas visitors, they will now have to pay for A&E and ambulance services in case of emergencies, as well as GP charges including diagnostic tests and scans. Chargeable services also include prescription drugs, physiotherapy, blood tests, lung function tests, dental and eye care. However, in the interest of public health protection, GP and nurse consultations will remain free.
Overseas visitors to the UK are not very pleased with this announcement. Darshan Bodhe, a visitor from India, said, “This move is inappropriate. UK has the most expensive visa charges in the world and it is their duty to give these services to legal visitors. The additional health surcharge along with a more complicated visa process will only discourage visitors, which will adversely affect the UK economy.”
NHS has been facing severe cuts under austerity measures. Shaping a Healthier Future is another programme which was targeted at saving £1 bn, but with A&E closures and ambulance services put on special measures, it now seems like it will cost £1 bn to the public, according to a recent report lead by barrister Michael Mansfield QC.
Samiksha Pattanaik, a masters student in London, said, “Be it visitors or migrants, most of them contribute significantly to the UK economy. It is unjust and more importantly, inhumane to deny them of basic facilities such as affordable healthcare.”
It is mandatory for travellers to the UK to have health insurance which covers them for the duration of their stay. The Department of Health was unavailable to comment on how costs would now be handled between the NHS and insurance companies. While overseas visitors and migrants will be charged, asylum seekers will continue to be exempt from charges on health care.
Shadow health minister Andrew Gwynne said, “Tories need to stop using over-blown rhetoric and making unrealistic claims. NHS staff should be confident that they are allowed to treat patients in an emergency, rather than issuing them an invoice.” He added that over the last five years, the Government has announced policies which sound good on paper but are unworkable in reality. “We need a proper consultation on these plans to ensure they don’t lumber NHS staff with even more work.”
