Passport checks planned for NHS patients

Patients seeking treatment at an NHS hospital in England could have to provide proof of their identity under plans being considered by the Department of Health to stop so-called "health tourism".

Senior civil servant Chris Wormald told MPs on the public accounts committee that several health trusts were already asking patients for a passport and confirmation of address.

He added that the NHS has "a lot further to go" in recouping costs from overseas patients who are not eligible for free treatment.

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A National Audit Office report said the UK paid out £674m to other European countries for the treatment of its citizens while abroad in 2014-15, but received only £49m in return for NHS treatment of Europeans.

"The taxpayer is being taken for a ride, not just by NHS tourists but by the incompetence and political correctness of the NHS bureaucracy," said Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke. "If we collected this money, we could provide so much more healthcare for needy Brits."

The controversial move was also welcomed by Professor Meirion Thomas, a former cancer surgeon, who told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it would show the NHS is not open to health tourism and that visitors would be checked for eligibility.

But Labour MP Meg Hillier, the committee chairwoman, raised concerns it would hit people without a passport, driver's licence or utility bill in their name.

"[They are] perfectly entitled to health care - British born, British resident - how are you going to make sure that people have access easily to the NHS without having to go through a very humiliating and impossible-to-meet set of demands?" she added.

Doctors have also spoken out and are threatening not to implement the plan, reports The Guardian.

In an email to the newspaper, Dr Simon Stallworthy said the proposal was "disgusting" and that it was not the role of the NHS to be "actively working to kick migrants out".