Migrants are fleecing NHS by £ 300m a year
MIGRANTS who flock to Britain to plunder free healthcare cost the NHS up to £ 300million a year, it was revealed last night.
Surgeries and hospitals have become a magnet for “health tourists” arriving to access world- class treatment.
Official figures show “frequent” foreign visitors who receive GP appointments, prescriptions and routine dental work leave the NHS with a bill of up to £ 200million a year.
It is estimated that others arriving for high- cost treatment such as maternity care and major surgery leave the health service a further £ 100million out of pocket.
The true cost of those who abuse the system is likely to be substantially higher as the actual number of overseas visitors and migrants using the NHS is unknown.
Millions owed by EU countries for the treatment of their citizens while in the UK has already been written off.
Last night Peter Bone, the Tory candidate for Wellingborough, Northants, said: “This is a scandal that has been going on for years and it's just plain wrong.
Urgent
“That £ 300million could be recouped and reinvested into health services for British people.
“It's wrong that people should be able to come into this country to deliberately use the NHS and incur costs for taxpayers which are never recovered. If I go to America I need medical insurance.”
Friends and relatives of those living here have been free to use the system for years by registering with a GP.
More worrying is the growing number of people who seek high- cost urgent care immediately on arrival.
In one case a pregnant woman from Nigeria flew thousands of miles to give birth in Britain.
She is understood to have made the journey because she thought she would be in safer hands here.
But she required midwives, two urology consultants, a radiology consultant, two obstetric consultants and two anaesthetists in the delivery room, costing taxpayers an estimated £ 10,000.
The figures, obtained by the Daily Express using Freedom of Information requests, were based on analysis commissioned in 2013 for the Health Department.
The flagrant abuse has prompted it to introduce new rules to save £ 500million a year by 2017. Most of those living or working in the European Economic Area will continue to get free care. But some foreign patients will be charged 150 per cent of the cost of their treatment. Hospitals have also been told to employ an overseas visitor manager.
Philip Hollobone, the Tory candidate for Kettering, said: “For too long taxpayers have been taken for a ride. I hope the changes make a significant differ- ence.” A Ukip spokesman said: “It is clearly apparent the Government hasn't a clue what is going on with health tourism. The only way to get a grip on this is to ensure only those who are entitled to free healthcare get it.”