Health tourist?

Absolutley disgraceful situation this child should be treated asap.

I agree - arguing over whether a child is entitled to have ber life saved is shameful. Treat her at once.

She is not a British citizen she does not live with her father in this country. It is sad, but the NHS is not a world wide health service, rules are rules. Perhaps someone will help to pay for her treatment here.

Perhaps the reason she lives with her grandparents is to allow her father to pursue his naval career. If he were working regular hours, based at home in UK, it may be that she'd be living here with him and there would be no problem accessing treatment.
There has to be a degree of flexibility here. Guess there must be an online petition.
But once again I am warmed by the sympathetic response of magpie.
Brings to mind the old Scots saying 'De'il tak' the hindmost'.
How did you feel when Malala was brought to UK for treatment?
Should she have been turned away too?

I thought the Pakistan government paid for Malala's treatment.

Totally lacking in compassion. As her father is a British citizen, why can't she be made one, fast-tracked.

mcem I could come on here and say all the right things to make me seem holier than thou like some on here do. Actions speak louder than worlds, if you are so concerned about this girl ( I have already said it is a very sad situation) then do something about it, start a petition/collection for her. Coming on here saying the NHS should treat her. how horrible other people are to not think like this (what a good person I am to think this etc etc) how is that helping her. Talks cheap.

Perhaps we shouldn't bother with threads at all then.

Alert! If you post comments on GN which are anything other than narrow-minded and right-wing you are doing so ONLY to seem 'holier than thou' !!
Renders the whole GN concept of discussion and exchanging ideas completely irrelevant then.

mcem I was referring to you only actually.

I have no sway if this poor girl gets treatment or not, I was just stating the facts, she is not a British citizen and because of this she is not entitled to free treatment on the NHS and we are not a world wide open to all national health service. I didn't make the rules.

Perhaps some kind person will pay her medical costs for her.

I am not prepared to let this degenerate but would point out that your use of 'some' (plural) would imply that in fact your remarks were addressed to more than one poster.
I am well aware that I am not the only one who has been on the receiving end of your
rants comments.
Given that I often find your posts verge on incomprehensible (both morally and grammatically) I shall endeavour to avoid them in future.
I have no doubt that others will continue to disagree with you without any help from me!

This is very hard- and it does totally lack in compassion, and it would be inhumane to fly the child back.

And yet, DH is British and has contributed for the whole of his career, both in taxes and with very hard work and long hours dedicated to the NHS. I am British since 1972- and also contributed all my adult life, both in taxes and as a teacher in the State system. And yet, now we live abroad, despite having a flat and an address in the UK, we are no longer entitled to use the NHS in any way shape or form. There must be 100s of 1000s of relatives of British citizens who live abroad who are not entitled to NHS treatment, despite being desperately in need. So where does the Gvt draw the line- anyone who flies here and gets here gets treatment, whatever the cost? I know there would be an uproar if that happened, and open the flood gates- especially at the time of heavy cuts and privatisation, etc.

mcem seems to me the only one ranting is you.

I know of a 19 year old boy with a degenerative condition of the spine who is in great pain and being denied treatment because of funding.

Given the state of affairs in the NHS the sad fact is that to give treatment to one person often means denying it to another.

And another, a school friend of my GS, who has Duchennes distrophy (they were featured on the One Show a couple of days ago)- for which there is no treatment available, and little research done due to lack of funding. The father is currently doing a triathlon, carrying or pulling his 9 year old child along- to raise funds for research.

Magpie has simply stated the view that this country takes, when laying out for medical treatment for anyone not a British citizen living here, paying taxes etc.Now that this case has been highlighted by the media, it may be looked into by Government depts. the Father's M.P. Or anyone else.Sometimes cases are looked on favourably, even if the person has no legal right to it.

It seems as if we have become a victim of our kind nature, doesn't it, in lots of areas?

I have great sympathy for this girl and, given her father's service to UK, perhaps an exception should be made in her case, however, it is a fact that many people come to the UK to use the NHS and this must be stopped. As long as UK subjects are being denied treatment through lack of funds we have to stop people coming here for treatment.

We all have a NI number, perhaps we should use this or be issued with a NHS number/card which has to be produced in order to receive treatment

If she lived in the UK with her father I don't see how he could serve in the Royal Navy. Who would look after her whilst he's at sea? So it would seem that she lives with her grandparents which allows him to serve this country and pay his dues.

I suppose he buy himself out the navy, go on the dole, bring his daughter over and, because she now lived in the UK, she could receive treatment. Of course it means that he'd no longer be paying into the system but it seems he's being penalised for doing so.

Magpie, do you always go with the rules are rules line? What if you or someone close to you needed a medication that NICE acknowledges would save your life but refuses to allow? Would you simply accept it as rules are rules or complain that you had paid into the system but now were being prevented from having treatment that would save your life?

vampirequeen if I couldn't pay for the treatment myself (which given my circumstances I wouldn't be able to) I would have to accept the rules what else could I do.

Rules are rules and they have to be ( think of the chaos and also the financial implication otherwise)but sometimes, depending on circumstances, exceptions are allowed.Perhaps this case is not as straightforward as it purports to be.

Cynical me says as it's in the Daily Hatemail there could be another side to this. I agree rosesarered, probably far less black and white than as reported.

We are British, on UK pensions, but as we live abroad, no longer entitled to NHS treatment- we both have NI numbers- but that does not give us entitlement to NHS treatment (unless as an emergency as per EU/EHIC regs).