Upfront charging of overseas patients

The BMA Annual Representative Meeting last month carried a motion proposed by Dr Jackie Applebee, of Tower Hamlets Division, stating:

“That this meeting calls on the BMA to publicly support the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Faculty of Public Health in their call for the suspension of regulations that force hospitals to charge overseas visitors upfront for NHS care.”

Coincidentally, on the same day the motion was debated at conference, the Government were being questioned on the issue by the Health and Social Care Select Committee (HSCSC). Stephen Hammond MP, Minister of State for Health and MP for Wimbledon, was questioned alongside Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care.

Dr Paul Williams MP, committee member and GP, asked Stephen Hammond about a review of changes to the rules regarding charging overseas patients, conducted by DHSC, which concluded that the changes had not deterred overseas visitors from using the NHS. In particular, Paul Williams wanted to know why the DHSC had refused repeated requests for the HSCSC to be allowed to see the document, resulting in Chris Wormold correcting the Minister to say that the report did not contain findings about the effects of the charging regime as a whole.

The session concluded without a commitment to publish the review which the HSCSC had asked for.

The full transcript of the Health Select Committee session can be read here.

Last updated : 16 Jul 2019

 

‘Innovative and interesting’ HCA course now incorporates the 15 Care Certificate Standards (21 Nov 2017)

“I would recommend it to other HCAs, a very good course”. “The trainers were excellent”. “Facilitators have a good knowledge of their subjects and they explained clearly”. These are just...
Read more »

London Health and Care Devolution Memorandum of Understanding signed (21 Nov 2017)

The London Health and Care Devolution Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed last week by London, national partners and central government. We currently have some high-level details which we can...
Read more »

BMA referral to a specialist patient leaflet (17 Nov 2017)

The BMA has launched a new leaflet which is designed to provide patients with information on what to expect when referred to a specialist. The leaflet can be downloaded...
Read more »

Practice managers please respond to records update email (17 Nov 2017)

In the next few weeks, we will be sending an email to all practice managers asking them to confirm the GPs who are working at their practice, please look out...
Read more »

Request for hospitals to issue fit notes gets results (17 Nov 2017)

Our recent letters to hospital trusts asking them to issue fit notes to patients rather than referring them back to GPs has had a positive response from Imperial College Healthcare...
Read more »

Londonwide LMCs motions at England LMC Representative Conference (17 Nov 2017)

The first Conference of England LMCs took place on 10 November in London. The full list of motions, including which parts were carried can be downloaded here. A summary...
Read more »

Chairs and vice chairs look at cross-LMC working (25 Oct 2017)

Last week’s meeting of Londonwide LMCs’ leaders looked at cross-LMC working, to make sure we are ready to represent members as the NHS brings in new organisations as part of...
Read more »

Participant practices wanted for unique stress and workload study (25 Oct 2017)

Update February 2018: The Primary Care Barometer is now up and running! As of December 2017 practice managers across London have had the exciting opportunity to participate in a novel survey...
Read more »

GPC guidance on requirements for PREVENT training (23 Oct 2017)

Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (the Act) places a duty on certain bodies (“specified authorities” listed in Schedule 6 to the Act), in the exercise of...
Read more »

Extended hours DES update (23 Oct 2017)

The 2017/18 changes to the GP contract included the condition that meant practices who regularly close for a half day, on a weekly basis, will not ordinarily qualify to deliver...
Read more »
Next Page »
« Previous Page