Oh Dear - NHS in illegal immigrant mess

[DimPrawn]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5275586.stm

The system to ensure illegal immigrants do not receive free NHS care is unworkable, doctors and lawyers say.

The government says failed asylum seekers or others without permission to be in the UK should only get limited free care, including emergency aid.

But doctors and NHS trusts said there was no definite way of ensuring illegal immigrants were not getting free care.

David Lock, of law firm Mills and Reeve, which is advising some NHS trusts, said the system was in a mess.

Mr Lock, a former Labour MP, said his firm represented scores of NHS trusts and he was frequently being asked for advice.

He said he was telling NHS trusts to carry on treating illegal immigrants who were already on GP lists as there was no practical way of removing them from the NHS register.


"The system is a complete mess. There is conflicting advice out there and NHS trusts do not know where they stand.

"If it is the case that illegal immigrants should not be getting free care, how is that to be enforced?

"It is a very complex situation, but the government needs to clarify its position. Trusts are quite rightly considering what their obligations are at a time when there are financial pressures in the NHS."

There are estimated to be about 400,000 illegal immigrants in the country. DP - Yeah and they estimated 15K Eastern Europeans and that turned out to be 600K

This country.....fecked.

[milanbenes]

they should do what's done in sunny Belgie, when you go in a hospital over there, if you have no NHS card, you have to pay at a cash register for the treatment before they treat you.

If you have health insurance you can then claim that money back.

works very well

course, would upset the pc brigade in the UK

civil liberties, paying upfront for treatment if your name is not on the list - how dare they !

Milan.

[stackpole]

They wouldn't have to be turned away from UK hospitals if they weren't allowed into the country in the first place.

"No passport or visa? Back on the plane with you."

It isn't rocket science!

[Mordac]

The system to ensure illegal immigrants do not receive free NHS care is unworkable, doctors and lawyers say.

They have a system for this? Why not just ensure the feckers aren't here in the first place? Too obvious? Thought so.

Edit - apologies for the plagiarism Stack, I didn't notice your post.

[TheMonkey]

I think we SHOULD let them in but tag them with radio transponders and give everyone guns. When they fail to leave, it's open season.

[shaunbhoy]

I think we SHOULD let them in but tag them with radio transponders and give everyone guns. When they fail to leave, it's open season.

I think that scheme might work very well, although I'd replace the guns with spears/machetes. That way we could simultaneously start to tackle the obesity issue by providing the indigenous populace with a really worthwhile activity. Two birds with one stone and all that!

[Dundeegeorge]

Oh if only we had ID cards

that would solve the problem at a stroke.

[_V_]

Yes ID cards would certainly make a difference.

"Hello, I would like you to treat my AIDS please"

"We must have your ID card before we can start you on the £20K treatment"

"I have only just arrived from Africa, I don't have an ID card"

"I see. One moment please" Hospital staff calls ID card helpline.....

"Okay, report to this address and one will be issued to you within 7 days"

"Thanks"

[AtW]

There is a big misconception about ID cards - the word "card" (physical object) is used intentionally to draw away from the key thing about it: its a biometric database. This means you don't need card - a portable scanner can scan your fingerprints and run quick query in DB whether this person (whoever he is) entitled to specific services, if person is not in DB this means automatic negative answer.

This DB is necessary for biometic info on passports which will be necessary for travel to USA and around the world very soon.

But of course they don't want to emphasise the truth because it would freak people out.