NHS passport checks have tripled income recouped in first scheme 

Passports
Patients could have to show proof of identity before being given treatment Credit: Andy Rain/EPA 

Passport checks on patients before treatment can almost triple the amount of money the NHS can recoup from health tourists, new figures suggest.

The Health Secretary last night said the findings, from the first such scheme, were “very encouraging” amid furious debate about proposals to extend such measures.

Yesterday Theresa May threw her support behind the plans, saying it was fair that overseas patients should provide “credible evidence” of their eligibility for free healthcare.

But doctors’ unions attacked the idea, saying that the money lost to health tourism was a “pinprick” of a problem for the NHS, while Labour said medics must not be treated as “border guards.”

Jeremy Hunt welcomed results from the first NHS trust to introduce such checks.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation trust said it is now recouping 95 per cent of the money owed by overseas patients, after requiring patients to bring passports and proof of residency in order to receive free care.

In the last year, the trust recouped £250,000 in charges from overseas patients - almost all of the money owed.

Three years before, less than £100,000  a year was recouped  - just 37 per cent of the sum due, health officials said.

On Monday the Department of Health’s top civil servant disclosed that the Government is considering asking every NHS patient to show their passport before they receive healthcare.

The proposals are part of plans to attempt to recoup at least £500m a year from overseas patients without an entitlement to free NHS care.

Mr Hunt said the results from the first such scheme gave grounds for optimism that significant sums could be released back into health services.

"The NHS is a national - not an international - health service that in this country we pay for through taxation - so it's absolutely right we expect those who aren't entitled to free care to make a contribution too,” he said.

"These findings from Peterborough are very encouraging, and we will keep working hard to protect our NHS from anyone who tries to abuse the system."

Yesterday the proposals met a backlash from unions.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the British Medical Association said: “The key thing here is that introducing something across the entire  NHS in this way, in response to such a small problem is I  think something that would be tremendously controversial.”

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said health services needed to do more to protect services for those who are eligible for free care.

“The NHS is in a critical state due to lack of resources, so any abuse from health tourism should be stopped,” she said.

But she said front-line staff should not be expected to have to check the identity of patients, with such roles fulfilled by administrative staff.  

Chris Wormald, the permanent secretary, disclosed the proposals on Monday as MPs said the taxpayer was being “taken for a ride” by the failure to charge health tourists and those who fall sick while visiting the UK.

Mr Wormald told the public accounts committee the Government was considering rolling out plans which were “controversial” and would mean a significant change to the culture of the health service.

The committee heard that Britain has paid £4.3 million towards treatment for Britons in Poland – but received just £1.5 million for the cost of treating Poles in NHS hospitals.

Mr Wormald said the Department of Health was examining whether passports would be suitable for every part of the country.

It was possible that schemes could be targeted in areas with high immigrant populations, he suggested.

“We are looking at whether more trusts should go down that route, as has been done in London and elsewhere, on people having to prove their identity,” he said.

“And whether that is proportionate – whether in just some places or whether you want to apply it to the whole country. 

“Those are the questions that we are looking at.”

The Department of Health has yet to announce its decision on plans to extend charges for overseas patients beyond non-urgent care, but is expected to do so within weeks.

Mr Wormald said significant changes were needed to recoup costs from overseas patients who are not eligible for free treatment.

NHS
MPs said the taxpayer was being “taken for a ride” by the failure to charge health tourists  Credit: Alamy

“We are looking … at whether trusts should do upfront identification,” he told the committee.

“There are individual trusts like Peterborough who are doing that, who are reporting that it makes a big difference.” 

Currently the NHS only attempts to recoup charges for non-urgent care. But ministers are drawing up plans to introduce charges for overseas patients who use Accident & Emergency departments, ambulance services, maternity units and GPs.

Mr Wormald said the NHS had “a lot further to go” in ensuring that treatment costs were recouped.

Last month the National Audit Office found NHS Trusts collected just £255 million of at least £500 million spent providing treatment to foreign patients last year. 

Eight trusts failed to collect payment from a single overseas visitor who  received free treatment to which they had not been entitled.

Hospital ward
The proposals could apply to hospitals in certain parts of the country Credit: Peter Byrne /PA

Charlie Elphicke, a Conservative MP, highlighted figures showing how much more money Britain pays out than it  receives.

“Poland claimed £4.3 million from the UK in 2014-15 but the UK only claimed £1.5 million from Poland,” said the MP, suggesting that the taxpayer was “being taken for ride” by “political correctness and a non-charging culture in the NHS”. 

Last year research suggested that the UK is now paying out £15 for the healthcare costs of Britons who fall ill abroad for every £1 it gets back for the NHS treatment of European visitors.

Those from outside the EU are supposed to pay for care. Meg Hillier, the committee chairman, expressed concern about British residents who would struggle to find suitable ID. “I have constituents who have no photo IDs,” she said. 

“Because they have never travelled they have no passport, they have no driver’s licence because they have never driven, they still live at home because they can’t afford to move out so they’ve never had a utility bill in their name.

"[They are] perfectly entitled to health care – British born, British resident – how are you going to make sure that people have access easily to the NHS without having to go through a very humiliating and impossible-to-meet set of demands?”

Mr Wormald said the Government had yet to decide whether it was “proportionate” to ask every patient seeking treatment for identification.

 

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