UK NHS slammed for 'inhumane' fees depriving migrants of treatment
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Around 900 migrants in England were forced to decline NHS treatment over upfront charges.
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An NHS sign pictured outside St Thomas' Hospital, near the Houses of Parliament London on March 8, 2017 (AFP)
Over the past two years, hundreds of migrants in England have opted out of NHS (National Health Service) treatment after encountering upfront charges, exposing the UK's increasing hostility toward immigration.
Since January 2021, 3,545 patients across 68 hospital trusts have been confronted with upfront charges totaling £7.1 million. Of these cases, 905 patients at 58 trusts opted against proceeding with treatment due to the associated costs, according to data collected by The Observer.
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Since October 2017, NHS trusts in England have been mandated to demand payments in advance before providing elective care to specific migrants. This policy applies to overseas visitors and migrants deemed ineligible for free healthcare, such as failed asylum seekers and those with expired visas. Urgent or immediately necessary treatment is exempt from these charges, but errors in implementing this policy have been noted.
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In one case, a lung cancer patient was diagnosed as an emergency case but was informed that treatment required upfront payment, Dr Laura-Jane Smith, a consultant respiratory physician, told The Observer. The upfront payment prompted the patient to not return for a follow-up, illustrating the human toll of the policy's rigidity.
"This was someone who had been in the country for years but who did not have the right official migration status. A cancer diagnosis is devastating. To then be abandoned by the health service is inhumane," Smith said.
In some cases, the consequences are fatal. In 2018, The Guardian reported the case of Elfreda Spencer, who died after being denied chemotherapy for a year, during which her cancer became terminal.
Commenting on the situation, Amardeep Kamboz, head of services at Doctors of the World UK, said, "Access to healthcare to all living in the UK, including secondary care, where we often see the most pressing health issues, should and can be equal, based on need and never dependent on someone’s financial or immigration status."
On their part, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson argued that upfront charges are required for non-urgent cases that can occur after the patient leaves the UK. "Immediately necessary or urgent care must never be withheld or delayed pending payment," they said.
