‘Health Tourism’ Mischief
posted: 08/06/2010
Sunday Times deputy editor Isabel Oakeshott has written an ignorant and mischief-making scare story about people from abroad using NHS money. People with HIV were included among those the NHS ‘counter-fraud unit’ listed as responsible.
The story calls it health tourism. The Department of Health has published no evidence that people with HIV come here as tourists deliberately to get HIV treatment. The only evidence there is (a snapshot survey by George House Trust and Terrence Higgins Trust) shows people do not know they have HIV when they travel here (to seek asylum, to start a university course, or to work, or visit family …. ).
Legal rights ignored
Most people from abroad who do have HIV treatment have every legal right to this. The few who are chargeable under the legal rules usually only find out they have HIV months or years after arrival, and their HIV diagnosis is always a big shock.
The NHS charging rules worsen public health in the UK by discouraging people from taking (always free) HIV tests. Untested and untreated people with HIV are likely to be much more infectious and lead to more HIV infections in the UK. Testing and HIV treatment can make people with HIV almost uninfectious, and that can save the NHS a lot more money than not treating everyone who needs this. HIV is the only sexually transmitted infection that can be left untreated because of these charging rules.
The Times report says that in eight-months last year, hospitals reported £24m in “bad debts”, 'most linked to patients from abroad'. The article suggests hospitals recover some of the cash later, but not much. The report says ‘According to the NHS’s counter-fraud unit, health tourism has a particularly heavy impact on maternity services, HIV care and cancer and heart units’.
Wrong about pregnant women, cancer, serious heart disease, HIV rights
The newspaper report is mischievous and malicious. The law and official guidance to NHS hospitals tells hospitals they must provide ‘immediately necessary’ or ‘urgent’ treatment.
Who would or could refuse a pregnant woman emergency care, or someone with life-threatening heart conditions, cancer, HIV?
Accident and Emergency – wrong again
It claims, without quoting any evidence, that “thousands of foreigners have been diagnosed in their own countries who cannot afford treatment there simply turn up at accident and emergency units in British hospitals and demand to be seen”.
Again this completely ignores the law and official NHS guidance – anyone needing accident and emergency care is always entitled to it without any charge. We get and would expect this if we are abroad and need emergency care.
“6.7 Some NHS services provided in NHS trusts are free to everyone regardless of the status of the patient. This Regulation says what these services are. The current list includes: a. treatment given in an accident and emergency department or casualty department......”
Doctors opposed
It correctly reports that most doctors dislike the charging system because medical ethics and the Hippocratic oath mean it is unethical to turn away patients who need urgent medical help.
Blame the Irish and Welsh – wrong
It also falsely blames people from the Irish Republic. Irish Citizens have always had the right to come and go freely and live here and use UK services. Brits can do the same in Ireland.
It seeks to create divisions within the UK by blaming people living in Wales for using NHS services in England, although the Welsh pay UK taxes just like everyone else. The Welsh are not foreign or migrants.
The Department of Health is already reviewing its policy on foreign patients.
Times article
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