I’ll comment for you, Andy.
The figure is true, poss higher. Thing with “health tourism” (badly named), is:
1) As a % of NHS cost, it’s tiny.
2) Nevertheless, it should be recovered. Best way to do that is mutual-pay schemes with other countries like we have with EU.
[thread]
The figure is true, poss higher. Thing with “health tourism” (badly named), is:
1) As a % of NHS cost, it’s tiny.
2) Nevertheless, it should be recovered. Best way to do that is mutual-pay schemes with other countries like we have with EU.
[thread]
3) The notion that all health tourists are ill-intentioned is false. Take, for example, this case of a Jamaican grandmother visiting her daughter & grandkids, when she had to be hospitalised just as her visa was running out:
theguardian.com/society/2018/n…
theguardian.com/society/2018/n…
Clearly in that case, you have an issue of how the hell can the family possibly cover that?
And it’s expensive (and unproductive) for NHS to send debt collectors after individuals who cannot pay.
More efficient to have deals between govts - like we do with Australia and EU.
And it’s expensive (and unproductive) for NHS to send debt collectors after individuals who cannot pay.
More efficient to have deals between govts - like we do with Australia and EU.
Also, with “health tourism”, the cost of recovery of the money exceeds the money returned.
This was studied under Jeremy Hunt in 2018 (across 18 trusts - 11 in London), finding that just 1 in 180 NHS patients were liable to pay:
standard.co.uk/news/health/89…
This was studied under Jeremy Hunt in 2018 (across 18 trusts - 11 in London), finding that just 1 in 180 NHS patients were liable to pay:
standard.co.uk/news/health/89…
Dammit - that was meant to be point number 4)... but you get the idea.
Point is that health tourism is £100-200m out of the NHS’ £120bn budget. It’s often a problem for the ‘tourists’ too, a pain to recover - and is best dealt with by international agreements like that with EU.
Point is that health tourism is £100-200m out of the NHS’ £120bn budget. It’s often a problem for the ‘tourists’ too, a pain to recover - and is best dealt with by international agreements like that with EU.
Which brings us onto this tweet of yours. It’s not bullshit.
No deal means no deal. Including no healthcare deal with EU. That means expensive insurance for many Brits with conditions living across the EU because they are suddenly not covered by a deal.
No deal means no deal. Including no healthcare deal with EU. That means expensive insurance for many Brits with conditions living across the EU because they are suddenly not covered by a deal.
Although I do note that some people, presume yourself included, would have financial interests in a no-deal Brexit damaging the NHS and our intergovernmental healthcare coverage arrangements, leading to expensive insurance being needed: 
