Passport checks for patients is an abandonment of NHS principles | Zoe Stewart It is a founding tenet of the NHS that everybody has a right to healthcare. It’s simply not true that ‘health tourists’ are to blame for the cash crisis. Rather than use World Health Day to draw attention to global health priorities, this year, healthcare providers are being asked to implement racist government policies and compromise our professional values. Earlier this year, health minister Jeremy Hunt announced that, from April 2017, NHS trusts would be legally obliged to check patients’ eligibility for NHS services upfront, and to demand payment before providing care.
These checks lead to racial profiling and will prevent those most in need of care from getting the treatment they need. This is already evident with pregnant women delaying or avoiding seeking necessary medical advice or treatment because of fears they will be unable to pay or will be reported to the Home Office. The amount of money [lost to 'health tourism'] is a drop in the ocean for the NHS. The Guardian
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