This BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38060432 on plans to try to stop foreign nationals using the NHS without paying for the service to which they are not entitled.
Of course the BBC frame the debate on the grounds that help their case that the BBC should be for everyone. Thus pushing the idea that some British people may have trouble proving that they're British. More troublingly the BBC end the report with this:
'But the committee heard that according to official figures released earlier this year, in 2014-15 £674 million was charged to the UK government for the care of British citizens abroad, but the amount charged for the care of EEA nationals in British hospitals was only £49m.'
Oddly the BBC find no space to inform the British taxpayer who pay for the NHS, as well as the biased BBC, how much money is spent treating non EEA individuals. For a start I'd like to know how much is spent on maternity care for Nigerians and Ghanaians who arrive at Heathrow Airport well past the six months pregnancy they're certified as being and then have a premature birth paid for by the British NHS.
Here's http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3214709/African-mum-quintuplets-let-145-000-NHS-bill-Health-tourist-came-UK-birth-says-no-one-s-asked-pay.html just one example:
'Bimbo Ayelabola, 37, had to have complex caesarean section while in UK
The operation and neo-natal care for five babies cost in excess of £145,000
She returned to her native Lagos where she is successful a make-up artist
It's emerged that Homerton Hospital, east London, won't chase her for bill '
Remember that a Government commissioned report in 2013 put the cost of treating non entitled foreigners on the NHS as high as £2billion. Also remember that experts said that even this was an underestimate because the vast majority of overseas patients are never identified by hospitals.
It's odd that the BBC omit such salient facts. I say odd but I mean entirely predicable.
1 comment:
My wife needs a fortnightly blood test to check her drugs are OK and enable her to adjust the dose. When we visited Australia a few years back, we went into the main Sydney hospital, and above the reception desk was a sign "Present you entitlement to free treatment or a credit card". No messing with the Aussies!
She got it free on presentation of her British passport as treatment was available to UK tourists.
Great service "When can we phone you at your hotel with the result, you don't want to waste time coming back here for it".
In Melbourne she was already on their computer and things went like clockwork.
If Australia can do it, why can't we? We seem to have an aversion to things Australian - their points based immigration system "wouldn't work here". Why?
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