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'Health tourists' get bills at bed side
"Health tourists" are being sent home sick from a west London hospital if they can't pay up.
Under the trial at West Middlesex University Hospital, foreign patients who aren't eligible for free treatment and who can't pay are stabilized then discharged - usually within 48hours.
Under the "Stabilise and Discharge" system, instead of treating the patients then giving them a bill when they are well, they are seen by three specialists to determine when their condition has stabilised.
Once stable, they are given a quote on the cost of further treatment and if they cannot provide immediate payment - by Visa, Mastercard, debit card or cash - the patients are discharged.
In a statement, the Department of Health said: "It important that those who are not entitled to NHS services pay for any they receive.
"The government is currently reviewing access to primary and secondary care for all foreign nationals.
"In doing this we must take into account the implications of any such decisions on the key preventative and public health responsibilities of the NHS."
8:37am Wednesday 30th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Sarah, surrey on 10:00am Wed 30 Apr 08
about bloody time!
Posted by: Karen, Richmond on 12:36pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Well said Sarah, It has been a long time coming.
Well said Sarah, It has been a long time coming.
Posted by: HELEN, MORDEN on 1:22pm Wed 30 Apr 08
TOO BLOODY RIGHT ASWELL! MOST OF THEM DONE CONTRIBRUTE TO THIS SERVICE, AND WE HAVE TO PAY UP IF WE NEED TREATMENT OF ANY KIND ABROAD, SO WHY SHOULD THEY BE TREATED ANY DIFFERENT? THEY GET AWAY WITH FAR TOO MUCH IN BRITAIN ANYWAY AS IT IS, LET US HAVE AT LEAST ONE THING PLEASE!!!!!
TOO BLOODY RIGHT ASWELL! MOST OF THEM DONE CONTRIBRUTE TO THIS SERVICE, AND WE HAVE TO PAY UP IF WE NEED TREATMENT OF ANY KIND ABROAD, SO WHY SHOULD THEY BE TREATED ANY DIFFERENT? THEY GET AWAY WITH FAR TOO MUCH IN BRITAIN ANYWAY AS IT IS, LET US HAVE AT LEAST ONE THING PLEASE!!!!!
Posted by: harold, brentford on 4:33pm Wed 30 Apr 08
At last the government are waking up and seeing how much this country is being milked by people from overseas.
At last the government are waking up and seeing how much this country is being milked by people from overseas.
Posted by: Den, Wallington on 4:51pm Wed 30 Apr 08
Not being funny but why can't they be asked for payment before any form of treatment starts? When I was on holiday in the Carribean a few years ago I needed a Doctor, I had to pay him before he would even look at me. This should be going on in all Hospitals as a matter of course. All these "health tourists" will do is leave the pilot hospital and just go to another one.
Not being funny but why can't they be asked for payment before any form of treatment starts? When I was on holiday in the Carribean a few years ago I needed a Doctor, I had to pay him before he would even look at me. This should be going on in all Hospitals as a matter of course. All these "health tourists" will do is leave the pilot hospital and just go to another one.
Posted by: Karen, Norwood Green on 11:41am Thu 1 May 08
This should not only be a pilot scheme it should be nationwide. Maybe now residents in this country might get the treatment they deserve and have been waiting for on the NHS.
This should not only be a pilot scheme it should be nationwide. Maybe now residents in this country might get the treatment they deserve and have been waiting for on the NHS.
Posted by: adam, london on 3:13pm Thu 1 May 08
Vote BNP.
Posted by: anon, mitcham on 8:28pm Thu 1 May 08
why did it take so long about time
why did it take so long about time
Posted by: mary ellen kelly, kinde, michigan usa on 2:17am Fri 2 May 08
My only child was born in the us without health insurance and has none to this day. In 1978 I visited my relatives in Glasgow/clydebank and saw a doctor while there who told me there was something seriously wrong w/my throat. I've had stage 3 cancer twice (at 20 and 33) paralysed thereafter. However in the us we treat our own citizens like crap and treat the foreigners for free. Immediatly after leaving hospital, my medical history followed me like a plague. I couldn't get a full-time job w/benefits nor could I work for the government, because I had cancer. For nearly 20 yrs I wore the same taped and glued eyeglasses,paid outragiously high prices for meds and dental care...I had to be a millionaire! I worked one full-time job w/o benefits and 2 part-time jobs at the sametime. The uninsured full-time job paid for daycare. My mother (and brother) who died when I was 18 months old took DES. I've picked strawberries wearing my leg braces and cane for $20.00 for 6 hours of work summer before last. Milked cows, cleaned toilets etc I have no telephone, no car and didn't have TV until recently. When 9/11 happened my daughter and I didn't see it until 12 hours later. I live in poverty, because I had cancer "too young." In 1993 when I got cancer again, nearly died; I had to quit my job to undergo 3 forms of highdose radiation and 2 implant surgeries as I had a huge inoperatable tumor. Because I was getting welfare ($80.00 a month in foodstamps and $167.00 a month to pay the heat, electric and rent, welfare ordered me out of my hospital bed numberous times to return to work. I was told that if I refused to work while going for treatment I'd loose my health insurance! The State under Gov. Engler a republican like Bush, sent me a notice to return to work that "there is no excuse and no exception," even for cancer patients! This is how I was treated, nearly dying by my own government! Shafted out of half of my Social Security Disability by my own government, I once again have got shafted. As of March 2008 The social security administration has perminately deducted $100.00 a month from my SSD check, leaving me to live on $533.00 per month. Be thankful you have healthcare unlike 48 million Americans!
My only child was born in the us without health insurance and has none to this day. In 1978 I visited my relatives in Glasgow/clydebank and saw a doctor while there who told me there was something seriously wrong w/my throat. I've had stage 3 cancer twice (at 20 and 33) paralysed thereafter. However in the us we treat our own citizens like crap and treat the foreigners for free. Immediatly after leaving hospital, my medical history followed me like a plague. I couldn't get a full-time job w/benefits nor could I work for the government, because I had cancer. For nearly 20 yrs I wore the same taped and glued eyeglasses,paid outragiously high prices for meds and dental care...I had to be a millionaire! I worked one full-time job w/o benefits and 2 part-time jobs at the sametime. The uninsured full-time job paid for daycare. My mother (and brother) who died when I was 18 months old took DES. I've picked strawberries wearing my leg braces and cane for $20.00 for 6 hours of work summer before last. Milked cows, cleaned toilets etc I have no telephone, no car and didn't have TV until recently. When 9/11 happened my daughter and I didn't see it until 12 hours later. I live in poverty, because I had cancer "too young." In 1993 when I got cancer again, nearly died; I had to quit my job to undergo 3 forms of highdose radiation and 2 implant surgeries as I had a huge inoperatable tumor. Because I was getting welfare ($80.00 a month in foodstamps and $167.00 a month to pay the heat, electric and rent, welfare ordered me out of my hospital bed numberous times to return to work. I was told that if I refused to work while going for treatment I'd loose my health insurance! The State under Gov. Engler a republican like Bush, sent me a notice to return to work that "there is no excuse and no exception," even for cancer patients! This is how I was treated, nearly dying by my own government! Shafted out of half of my Social Security Disability by my own government, I once again have got shafted. As of March 2008 The social security administration has perminately deducted $100.00 a month from my SSD check, leaving me to live on $533.00 per month. Be thankful you have healthcare unlike 48 million Americans!
Posted by: Sarah, Surrey on 9:28am Fri 2 May 08
Sorry "Mary ellen kelly, kinde, michigan usa"
I think you have missed the point of the story - We have healthcare because people like me work **** hard & fund it through our wages - However, the problem is, it isnt a "fair system" & people who have contributed nothing to the cost of the NHS & the treatment it provides, can just use its facilities & medicines etc without a care in the world! This is what we need to stop! Foreign nationals who arrive in this country & have babies & operations & god knows what - allpaid for by me & others like me!
In your case, if you were a UK citizen, you would have been treated & quite rightly so! However if you came over here purely to use my National Health Service - Something you have not contributed to, I agree, you should be stabilized & then sent home!
We pay through our wages for healthcare, why should we pay for other countries to foist their ill onto us?
Sorry "Mary ellen kelly, kinde, michigan usa"
I think you have missed the point of the story - We have healthcare because people like me work **** hard & fund it through our wages - However, the problem is, it isnt a "fair system" & people who have contributed nothing to the cost of the NHS & the treatment it provides, can just use its facilities & medicines etc without a care in the world! This is what we need to stop! Foreign nationals who arrive in this country & have babies & operations & god knows what - allpaid for by me & others like me!
In your case, if you were a UK citizen, you would have been treated & quite rightly so! However if you came over here purely to use my National Health Service - Something you have not contributed to, I agree, you should be stabilized & then sent home!
We pay through our wages for healthcare, why should we pay for other countries to foist their ill onto us?
Posted by: Roz, kingston on 1:39pm Fri 2 May 08
Speak to the staff at the West Middx Hospital and they will tell you that people come into the UK specifically to go STRAIGHT to hospital because they've heard treatment is free. visit this hospital and English is a foreign language. Shame that Britain isn't British anymore - I'm a 3rd generation Brit and very proud to be culturally totally British.
Speak to the staff at the West Middx Hospital and they will tell you that people come into the UK specifically to go STRAIGHT to hospital because they've heard treatment is free. visit this hospital and English is a foreign language. Shame that Britain isn't British anymore - I'm a 3rd generation Brit and very proud to be culturally totally British.
Posted by: John, barnes on 10:31pm Fri 2 May 08
It won't be long before everyone will undergo interrogation before being treated. The Govt will justify it by labelling tax paying patients as spongers, just like benefit cheats.
It won't be long before everyone will undergo interrogation before being treated. The Govt will justify it by labelling tax paying patients as spongers, just like benefit cheats.
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