200 £million NHS black hole foreign health tourists

Thanks Delia, I'll have a look.

PoliticsNerd

Ladyleftfieldlover

MaizieD

What an unpleasant thread.

I agree.

It is.

The OP's post is odd in that they don't give or reference any facts.

Is it actually true? Why should we believe it? It sounds as if it's just been picked out of the pile marked "How to attack foreigners" for today's far-right initiative. However, I haven't read all the posts yet so I'll read on and see if I find enlightenment.

(Just to say I tried the headline online and I'm only getting eight year and older posts) but that was a very general search.

Yes, a very unpleasant thread.

PoliticsNerd, it seems the OP’s source is yesterday’s Daily Express, very possibly from that pile you mentioned….(She gives a link on the previous page).

Yes, Chocolatelovingran, I have a friend in the same position. They recieve Continuing Healthcare Funding which provides cover for the full cost of a patient’s care and it is not means tested.

However, like all other illnesses this is only provided provided when an individual’s need for care is primarily due to health reasons.

It is difficult to obtain but so is any need for care that moves from mainly social care to primarily health care.

Mt61, I'm not sure what is meant by the statement that Alzheimer's sufferers not being funded.
Alzheimer's patients have NHS support.
It may not be enough, in some people's eyes, but it's certainly not " hardly any funding" - quite the reverse.
A relative of mine with Alzheimers has received excellent care over the years, at, no doubt, eye-watering expense.

petra

The £200 million is only for invoices issued. The majority of hospitals don’t issue an invoice as they know is a waste of time.

If that is true they sre not keeping proper accounts. Why has this not been taken to court?

Now, I've just had an idea, as my big boat reaches the Devon shoreline.

We should have one hospital, situated on Dartmoor, (there's currently a building available), where all the visitors, the non UK residents, can turn up for their treatment. They might have to wait their turn, and the food will be bread and cheese, and the equipment a bit antiquated.
It won't be free, because on site there's ways of keeping them there until they've paid up.
Anyone interested?

Ladyleftfieldlover

MaizieD

What an unpleasant thread.

I agree.

It is.

The OP's post is odd in that they don't give or reference any facts.

Is it actually true? Why should we believe it? It sounds as if it's just been picked out of the pile marked "How to attack foreigners" for today's far-right initiative. However, I haven't read all the posts yet so I'll read on and see if I find enlightenment.

(Just to say I tried the headline online and I'm only getting eight year and older posts) but that was a very general search.

petra look up how much money the NHS does recoup from foreign nationals to prove your assumption incorrect.

Calendargirl

My cousin, on holiday in Spain, developed dreadful stomach pains in the middle of the night.

When the paramedics arrived, he was writhing on the floor. (Turned out to be pancreatitis or similar, needed operations etc).

The first thing they wanted to see, before attending to him, was their proof of travel insurance.

Does that happen here?

The uk has a reciprocal health care agreement with Spain.
It’s quite possible that it was a private ambulance.

Whitewavemark2

We do!! I’ve watched the forms being filled in - A&E

Filling the forms in and receiving the money are worlds apart.
A bit like winning a court case: meaningless.

TerriBull

LizzieDrip

petra

The £200 million is only for invoices issued. The majority of hospitals don’t issue an invoice as they know is a waste of time.

How do you know this is the case?

I remember seeing a programme, quite a few years ago, can't remember the name of it, could have been something like Dispatches. It was about the NHS and in particular administrators who were tasked with invoicing foreign nationals for procedures they'd had here on the NHS. I remember the person who was in charge of all of this, saying it was a futile exercise, that never achieved its objective.

Lizziedrip
By listening to an NHS representative on Radio 4 yesterday.

panorama programme from 5 years ago but still very relevant

youtu.be/lRDqqY1bXJA?feature=shared

So the lady from Nigeria, travelling to the USA to give birth to triplets, must have had every intention of paying the USA, (You cant get a band aid there without showing proof of a means to pay.).So why didn’t she pay here?
I watched an interview where she said no one from the NHS, approach her for payment.
Why on earth would you risk your life & that of your unborn child, 3 in her case, travelling first to the USA, so she says! Then on to Britain.
Then watching the husband of Fiona Philips, stating that once you are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (1 in 3 will get it) that there is hardly any funding going towards Alzheimer’s, (but plenty for imo) going to towards tourist health. Crazy.

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2084232/health-tourists-leave-our

I was taken ill in Françe in 2018, after the event I paid for the ambulance, blood tests and prescriptions, paid the MT - GP €25 for each visit. Most of the costs were claimed back on my EHIC, we also had full travel insurance for the 8 months we were there, it cost about £300.

How do explain away waiting list.

Perhaps you’ve cracked the answer.

We all sign up as foreign nationals and get our operation done during our holidays!

What tripe.

Something was uttered along the lines of "going through the motions to tick the boxes"

LizzieDrip

petra

The £200 million is only for invoices issued. The majority of hospitals don’t issue an invoice as they know is a waste of time.

How do you know this is the case?

I remember seeing a programme, quite a few years ago, can't remember the name of it, could have been something like Dispatches. It was about the NHS and in particular administrators who were tasked with invoicing foreign nationals for procedures they'd had here on the NHS. I remember the person who was in charge of all of this, saying it was a futile exercise, that never achieved its objective.

What those critical of the system seem not to know is that the U.K. has many reciprocal health care arrangements with other countries, including the EU and EEA. As well as others like Australia, Montserrat, and others.

I fell and crushed a couple of vertebrate in France.

A&E, medication, x-rays and notes - I paid 15€ which I reclaim at a town hall.

Free

Before Brexit.

My DIL broke her ankle in Spain. A&E - a week in hospital and sent home with all the necessary medical notes and medication.

Free.

And that is since Brexit!!

Where have you told us how much the NHS already recovers from foreign patients Primrose53, for a balanced discussion isn’t that an essential piece of information?

primrose

I can’t begin to understand where you are getting all your very unpleasant and misinformed information from

Portugal has a universal healthcare system.

And you simply can’t rock up and get your operation on the NHS whilst on holiday. 😄😊

I have never heard such utter rubbish.

Apart from anything else and always assuming it is possible which it isn’t what about the waiting lists?

You really need to be more critical over your so called “I know for certain” facts.

You don’t and they are wrong.

My cousin, on holiday in Spain, developed dreadful stomach pains in the middle of the night.

When the paramedics arrived, he was writhing on the floor. (Turned out to be pancreatitis or similar, needed operations etc).

The first thing they wanted to see, before attending to him, was their proof of travel insurance.

Does that happen here?

Whitewavemark2

We do!! I’ve watched the forms being filled in - A&E

So where is the payment for their treatment then if there's such a shortfall.