Ten tourists a day having babies on the NHS

THOUSANDS of foreigners are flying into the country every year to give birth on the NHS for free, despite promises of a crackdown on ‘health tourism’.

More than ten heavily-pregnant women make the trip every day from as far afield as Africa, an NHS investigation found.

The cost of looking after the 3,891 mothers and their newborns reached at least £13.3million last year. Hospitals recovered just £4.9million, leaving £8.4million unpaid – enough to employ an extra 350 nurses each year. One of the worst-hit NHS trusts is Barts in east London, where the unpaid bill for foreign mothers was £1,714,613.

Non-EU nationals must pay for hospital care in England or have health insurance. Ineligible patients should pay upfront unless their life is in danger. The NHS has sent in ‘hit squads’ to help trusts recoup the £6,994 it charges foreign nationals.

Since 2017 there have been stricter hospital checks, but campaigners say the NHS continues to be seen as a soft touch.

Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, told The Sun: ‘It is ludicrous that thousands of pregnant women arrive in England to have their child for free.’