The Department of Health has today announced plans to charge migrants from outside Europe 150% of the cost of NHS treatment.
A news release by the Department of Health says non-EEA visitors will be charged for their care plus an extra 50 per cent under a new incentive scheme which will begin in spring 2015.
The Department of Health says that the NHS could recover up to £500 million a year from treating foreign visitors and migrants.
The news release adds that for those who are temporary migrants from outside the EEA and are here for longer than six months, a new health surcharge will be applied when they submit an application for leave to enter or remain in the UK. This surcharge could generate up to £200 million per annum, the Department of Health said.
A 74-page document accessible here sets out timelines for the NHS to improve systems that recover the cost of healthcare for migrants and visitors who use the NHS.
According to BBC News, the move is designed to incentivise NHS Trusts in England to recover the cost of operations from migrants as currently only a fraction of the £460 million in chargeable procedures performed every year is recovered.
A BBC News correspondent said many trusts did not bother chasing patients because of the time and cost involved in tracking them down compared with the financial reward.
In related news, the Guardian reported yesterday that the Home Office has been given access to the NHS records of more than 6,900 people since 2010 as part of its efforts to track down immigrants without legal status, prompting concerns from patients' and migrants' rights groups.
Patients' groups warned that the use of NHS records by immigration and law enforcement officials could deter people from seeking treatment for themselves or their families, and so pose a public health risk.
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, was quoted by the Guardian as saying: "There is the very real danger that some patients may put off seeking medical help for fear of their details being leaked. Furthermore, children may suffer if parents are reluctant to take them for treatment when they are ill. The health and welfare of patients must always be the priority and we must not introduce policies which could undermine the core principles of our health service."