Failing NHS caused by the Tories?

[Bob Arctor 11]

So the invoice can arrive later.

 

The words "at the point of delivery" are in that sentence for a reason.

 

Free at the point of delivery means you've already paid for it. What we need to be careful of is different parts of the NHS going the same way as dentistry, where there is some to pay at the point of delivery.

[Cyclone 10]

Is that free, except when it's not?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/25/charges-proposed-for-out-of-hours-gp-appointments-in-england

[ukdobby 223]

It's usually already arrived in the form of income tax.

 

No one claims that the NHS was ever free - everyone always paid for it but you never had to pony up fivers to get to see the GP....

 

Not everyone pays for it.

[hauxwell 243]

I am sure something was on the news today that a pregnant woman who lives in Nigeria received three hundred and thirty thousand pounds worth of treatment on the NHS. Not sure if anyone else saw it. if that is the case then its not the national health service, it's the international health service.

[dangerousedd 10]

im sure cancer survival rates will drop now certain authorities are paying private companies to block referrals. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/nhs-paying-private-firms-to-block-hospital-referrals-l70mr95g0

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/04/nhs-paying-millions-private-firms-block-gp-referrals-hospital

[ukdobby 223]

I am sure something was on the news today that a pregnant woman who lives in Nigeria received three hundred and thirty thousand pounds worth of treatment on the NHS. Not sure if anyone else saw it. if that is the case then its not the national health service, it's the international health service.

 

Saw it on tv programme last night,it was 330k and counting,she had ivf in Nigeria and she was told to fly to another country as Nigeria didn't have the facilities for her.

There was also a Phiilipino woman who came to visit her sister on holiday and had open heart surgery,of course she had no travel insurance.

It's quite obvious we can't get the money of these people so why can't we Bill the country.

Edited February 2, 2017 by ukdobby

[unbeliever 10]

You can bill some countries if we have reciprocal healthcare deals with them.

[fuddyduddy4 11]

Why don't we make it mandatory that to visit this country you must have health insurance along with a passport

[Afilsdesigne 10]

Why don't we make it mandatory that to visit this country you must have health insurance along with a passport

I'd like to see that taken a step further to prevent people getting here and then demanding 'emergency' treatment. Possession of a fully comprehensive medical insurance should be made part of the check-in procedure to travel to the UK for planes, ships and trains. No insurance, no travel.

[sgtkate 10]

Saw it on tv programme last night,it was 330k and counting,she had ivf in Nigeria and she was told to fly to another country as Nigeria didn't have the facilities for her.

There was also a Phiilipino woman who came to visit her sister on holiday and had open heart surgery,of course she had no travel insurance.

It's quite obvious we can't get the money of these people so why can't we Bill the country.

 

Hang on now. The woman was taken ill on a flight that happened to stop for a transfer at Heathrow. She didn't plan to come to a hospital here and would rather not be here at all.

 

However, I do totally agree that we should look to bill the country the person is a national of, but we shouldn't start hounding people who are taken ill for money. That's not what Britain should stand for.

 

Seriously what's the alternative? Swipe a credit card upon arrival in the UK so we can bill you? If you don't have a mere £300k credit limit you get left to die in the street? Hers is an extreme case and should not be used to make a melodramatic point, but there is clear scope for the NHS to recover costs from non-British nationals.

 

The suggestion saying we should block entry to the UK unless they have travel insurance is hilaiorus by the way. This women wasn't even coming here except to change flights. So already we've ruined that idea, unless you want to make the law be about people changing flights here as well and that'll leave you in interesting ground as technically until you go through Border Control you aren't in the UK...

[ukdobby 223]

Hang on now. The woman was taken ill on a flight that happened to stop for a transfer at Heathrow. She didn't plan to come to a hospital here and would rather not be here at all.

 

However, I do totally agree that we should look to bill the country the person is a national of, but we shouldn't start hounding people who are taken ill for money. That's not what Britain should stand for.

 

Seriously what's the alternative? Swipe a credit card upon arrival in the UK so we can bill you? If you don't have a mere £300k credit limit you get left to die in the street? Hers is an extreme case and should not be used to make a melodramatic point, but there is clear scope for the NHS to recover costs from non-British nationals.

 

The suggestion saying we should block entry to the UK unless they have travel insurance is hilaiorus by the way. This women wasn't even coming here except to change flights. So already we've ruined that idea, unless you want to make the law be about people changing flights here as well and that'll leave you in interesting ground as technically until you go through Border Control you aren't in the UK...

 

Hang on who said anything about not treating them?and who would pay for the treatment in USA?,don't they do direct flights from U.S. to Nigeria.

[sgtkate 10]

Hang on who said anything about not treating them?and who would pay for the treatment in USA?,don't they do direct flights from U.S. to Nigeria.

 

I know, hence why she was here at all, she was transferring flight at Heathrow. My post did say that.

 

We would pay for treatment of a UK citizen in the US. You would get taken to a municipal hospital for emergency treatment and the bill would be sent to the UK. Even in the US you likely wouldn't be left to die in the street.

 

The number of Brits who travel abroad without travel insurance is 24%, so what do we do in those cases when they are taken ill abroad and the bill is sent back to us? Perhaps we can charge those people extra tax that goes towards the NHS when so they can clear the bill themselves?

 

https://abta.com/about-us/press/brits-unaware-of-medical-costs-abroad