only £2bn

[sal]

Insurance is not going to help if NHS keeps being rubbish at collecting the bill. It's easier for the Hospital/NHS trusts to blame the health tourists for their financial woes, than doing something about it.

There are already rules in place that are designed to charge people not eligible for free NHS care for childbirth. The problem is no one is following up and collecting whats due.

Trying to shift the responsibility for it to the border control or the air lines is ludicrous, yes they can assist in the matter but ultimately it's up to NHS to get a grip. Unfortunately that's never going to happen.

[vetran]

Insurance is not going to help if NHS keeps being rubbish at collecting the bill. It's easier for the Hospital/NHS trusts to blame the health tourists for their financial woes, than doing something about it.

There are already rules in place that are designed to charge people not eligible for free NHS care for childbirth. The problem is no one is following up and collecting whats due.

Trying to shift the responsibility for it to the border control or the air lines is ludicrous, yes they can assist in the matter but ultimately it's up to NHS to get a grip. Unfortunately that's never going to happen.

hence the suggestion of an embedded revenue team to collect it, take it out of the NHS hands they are ideologically against collecting it. If you insist on insurance before a Visa the person can flee but the insurance company can be pursued far more easily. Let them do the legwork of chasing people in their own country.