Since UK has a national (socialized medical structure) I had read that in the past people "called health tourists" would show up and use the NHS service and leave with never paying. Given that Europe is close to dipping into recession, is this not a hugh drain on the UK economy ?
Maggie
Favorite Answer
Two pieces of recent legislation are helping to prevent abuse.
Since August this year it has been an offence for NHS Trusts not to charge for health care where there is no entitlement to free health care.
Since this month, any foreign national owing £1,000 or more in unpaid medical bills will have their details passed to UKBA and any future visa application will be refused.
Kittysue
You can't use an NHS doctor without proof you are legally resident in the UK. You have to register with a local doctor first before you can use their services. The only exception is if you are in an accident or need emergency care, then you can be treated in an NHS hospital.
But for anything not urgent or life-threatening you have to go to a private doctor or hospital and pay for your services. If health tourists were not paying, it would not be to an NHS doctor or hospital and would not affect the taxpayers. It would be private clinics and hospitals who are all for-profit businesses, who would be taking that financial hit
Anonymous
Not massively, no. There's not a universal right for anyone to use the NHS. Citizens and legal residents can use it. It's rather difficult to gain legal residency, and far too much trouble to simply get healthcare. It's much easier for Europeans, but all of Europe has universal healthcare.
As for non-Europeans, it's only emergency treatment which is free. So if an American is hit by a bus, she can receive treatment for nothing. But she can't visit Britian just to get surgery.
paul s
There are safeguards in place to ensure such things are kept to a minimum, people can't just arrive at hospitals and demand treatment without providing proof they are entitled to it, most health tourists are here in a private capacity and as such any unpaid bills tend to hit private health insurance providers or companies rather than the public health care.
fung
this isn't any longer quite unfair, they get precisely what different children born in Britain get: the nationality of their parents. children inherit extremely some issues from parents. between those issues is nationality. If the parents do no longer have British nationality it may't inherit this from its parents. It relies upon on the regulation of the united kingdom even if the baby get British nationality or no longer, and the alternative has been to grant citizenship depending on the parents, no longer on the area of the beginning.