Shock! Horror! Daily Wail says NHS tourism costing billions.

[sasguru]

OMG!

But hang on, while there is a small problem it is tiny compared to the overall NHS budget

[original PM]

indeed it is a mere drop in the ocean.

[sasguru]

indeed it is a mere drop in the ocean.

Less than a drop compared to the geniuine billions wasted on bailing out bankers - that has raised the country's debt relative to GDP from a European beating 40% to 75%.
I would rant about that more, except you cretins have been brain-washed by the press into thinking that's OK.

[Old Greg]

Does the Mail quantify the cost of treatment for UK citizens overseas, who travel to the UK for NHS treatment they are not entitled to?

[mudskipper]

Does the Mail quantify the cost of treatment for UK citizens overseas, who travel to the UK for NHS treatment they are not entitled to?

Can they do that? My sister visited from Oz last month, took ill, and had to pay to see the GP and get a private prescription for antibiotics, because she's not UK resident.

[Old Greg]

Can they do that? My sister visited from Oz last month, took ill, and had to pay to see the GP and get a private prescription for antibiotics, because she's not UK resident.

Many (I understand) retain a UK address even if not resident and retain a GP registration.

[xoggoth]

£20m? "200m? Actually the "billions" was reported by a senior doctor who could, just possibly, know what he is talking about.

Health tourism costing NHS billions, senior doctor claims - Telegraph

Also, "health tourism" is a term for visitors who come to the UK specifically to get treatment and it is dwarfed by the health cost of migrants and minorities (it makes no sense to dismiss consequences of previous immigration as unrelated to immigration). Some major groups have significantly worse health than average. A few links listed here:

MCB

[Spacecadet]

Can they do that? My sister visited from Oz last month, took ill, and had to pay to see the GP and get a private prescription for antibiotics, because she's not UK resident.

Your sister probably made the mistake of telling them that she wasn't a resident in this country. Most foreigners are smarter than that and simply turn up at A&E or the health clinic drop in center and act as if they always live here. No one ever checks to make sure that someone getting treatment is eligible.

[sasguru]

£20m? "200m? Actually the "billions" was reported by a senior doctor who could, just possibly, know what he is talking about.

Health tourism costing NHS billions, senior doctor claims - Telegraph

Also, "health tourism" is a term for visitors who come to the UK specifically to get treatment and it is dwarfed by the health cost of migrants and minorities (it makes no sense to dismiss consequences of previous immigration as unrelated to immigration). Some major groups have significantly worse health than average. A few links listed here:

MCB

Try and be less emotional and more logical and numerate.

1. The first link shows the true figure to be not in the "billions" as claimed but in the millions.
The difference is important since it shows if the problem is large or not compared to the NHS 106 billion budget.

2. The good doctor has no evidence for his claims, unlike the first link. Since he writes in the Spectator rather than in a medical journal, it's likely he has an overtly political motive. I work in the health economics/evidence industry and it is well known that doctors are not very numerate. It's a problem with their overly factual and less logical/numerate training. Two examples are Dr. Wakefield of MMR infamy and the very eminent doctor who got the tragic Mrs Clarke convicted of the murder of her 2 children based on his misunderstanding of statistics.

3. We are talking about health tourism. It is a separate issue whether British-born immigrants have worse health than the natives. Reading your links it seems successful groups, and hence rich, ones have better health than poor groups. I'm sure that splitting the indigenous white Britons into economic groups, rather than taking the average, would show chavs with significantly poor health outcomes due to obesity, drinking and drugs.

[AtW]

UK Visa fee should include amount to act as medical insurance policy.