Non-EU nationals to charge £200 a year to access NHS

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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British government have unveiled its plans to charge non-EU nationals who come to England for more than six months at least £200 a year to access NHS services in order to clamp down so-called health tourism – individuals coming to the U.K. to get benefit of free healthcare.

The proposed charge, added to visa costs for students, is disclosed during a government consultation.

Students and workers staying in U.K. for exceeding the period of six months would be charged a set fee of at least £200 (235 euros, $300) a year to cover NHS costs on applying for their visas in addition to taxes used to fund the health service.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt also proposes to end providing the visitors from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) free access to general practitioners (GPs).

He has said: “We have been clear that we are a national health service, not an international health service, and I am determined to wipe out abuse in the system.”

The Department of Health have shown its concerns and said the cost of treating foreigners is at least £30m a year for the NHS in England alone – although Chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, Dr. Clare Gerada has told that was the equivalent of just two hours of the NHS’s annual spending.

But the National Aids Trust (NAT) is of the opinion that the planned initiatives could pose a risk to the lives of people living with HIV and would also threaten the health of Britons.

However, the access to accident and emergency care will not be affected by the suggested changes and will remain free.

Also the countries including Australia, which have a special agreement to allow their citizens free healthcare in Britain, will not be affected by the changes.

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