NHS (Foreign Nationals)

Debate between Chris Skidmore and Gary Streeter

Tuesday 22nd May 2012 Westminster Hall

[Mr Virendra Sharma]

I apologise; I should have congratulated the hon. Gentleman earlier on securing this debate, which is important not only to his constituents but to people all over the country, who take the issue seriously. It is also important in my constituency, where it is discussed every day.

I am a bit confused; I hope that the hon. Gentleman will clarify. He is mixing foreign nationals and those who have been here for many years. As I see it, in this debate, foreign nationals are those who come especially to register themselves for a few days, who receive treatment and who disappear without paying, due to system failures, although I will not get into that debate. For those already here, if GPs act as immigration officers or work on behalf of the UK Border Agency, that will mean health problems.

[Mr Gary Streeter (in the Chair)]

Order. Interventions should be brief.

[Chris Skidmore]

I certainly do not mean to confuse or mislead. When I say foreign nationals, I mean those who come to this country requiring care who are not defined as ordinarily resident under the current regulations. Personally, I think that we should consider the definition of “ordinarily resident”. I have no problem with people’s nationality, whether they are British or a citizen of whatever country. If they work in this country and are contributing to society, it is right that they should receive the free care towards which they have contributed.

Equally, exemptions apply for matters of public health and vulnerable groups. As the hon. Gentleman mentioned, if denying access to treatment could worsen the health of the community, let alone the individual, it is right that we should act responsibly. However, that should not preclude the creation of a clear definition of who is and is not eligible for care. One reason why we are having this exchange is that there is no clear, black and white definition. There will, obviously, be shades of grey, as there always are in health care. Health care professionals have a moral obligation to treat people in need, the sick and the vulnerable. I do not deny that, but we also have a moral obligation to our taxpayers to ensure that NHS money is spent as well as it can be.

A few people have come to me and said, “Mr Skidmore, it’s only £60 million out of a budget of £110 billion. Surely you’ve got to factor in debt. We should be able to expect that amount of debt to be written off.” I do not accept that argument. My local community hospital, Cossham hospital, is undergoing a £20 million refurbishment at the moment, and my constituents are so excited that it is taking place. That £60 million is a lot of money; it could have paid for the refurbishment of Cossham hospital three times over. We must count millions in order to save billions. During this efficiency drive, when we are trying to reinvest 15% to 20% of NHS resources in front-line care, it is a key aspect of the Nicholson challenge that we look for waste in the system and for instances where regulations are not being applied effectively.

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that we must be careful about how we define a foreign national. I do not want this to be seen as a xenophobic campaign, because it certainly is not. It is based on the conviction that the NHS is a national health service that provides free care at the point of use, but should not be abused; it should be free at the point of use, but not at the point of abuse.

The GP situation includes the lawyers at Deighton Pierce Glynn, who have been contacting GPs, and the Minister of State’s answer to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead about the issue of visas and documentation, which raises an issue that I think GPs would welcome.

Part of the consultation involves clarity about what GPs must look for when patients register in their practices, and whether they can say, “I’m afraid I cannot register you, because you don’t have the necessary data documentation.” As far as I understand it, the lawyers have been writing to GPs saying that by not registering patients, they are applying a discriminatory process. However, I was interested to read that paragraph 5.16 of the guidance on charging, in the section on GPs in primary care, says:

“It is important to see that all patients are treated the same way, to avoid allegations of discrimination.”

That is also clear in the Minister’s answer. The guidance goes on to say:

“It is not racist to ask someone if they have lived lawfully in the UK for the last 12 months as long as you can show that all patients—regardless of their address, appearance or accent—are asked the same question when beginning a course of treatment. The answer to that question may result in others needing to be asked, but again you will not be breaking any laws as long as those questions are asked solely in order to apply the Charging Regulations consistently.”

It is in the guidance that GPs have the right to ask, as long as they ask everybody. They will not be applying a discriminatory process.

As I said, in 2004—they reported in 2009—the previous Government began to consider whether we should extend charging to primary care and how eligibility criteria should be tightened. The review suggested that charging would not be extended to primary care. I hope that we as a Government might be able to reconsider. I know that this Government are committed to ensuring that national health care resources are spent in the right way. My constituents appreciate that, as I have said.

The Home Office has introduced measures so that anyone owing the NHS £1,000 or more will not be allowed to enter or stay in the UK unless the debt is paid. When that is implemented, the Home Office hopes to capture 94% of outstanding charges owed to the NHS; hopefully, it will have a significant impact. Encouragingly, the review commissioned on 18 March 2011 suggested:

“The existing system is still too complex, generous and inconsistently applied. While the NHS remains committed to providing immediate or necessary care, it is important that a balance of fairness and affordability is also struck.”

I agree entirely.

The review taking place will now consider

“qualifying residency criteria for free treatment; the full range of other current criteria that exempt particular services or visitors from charges for their treatment; whether visitors should be charged for GP services and other NHS services outside of hospitals”,

as I suggested; and

“establishing more effective and efficient processes across the NHS to screen for eligibility and to make and recover charges”.

I suggest that as part of the consultation, they consider West Middlesex University hospital and the good work being done there. Finally, the review will consider

“whether to introduce a requirement for health insurance tied to visas.”

I was encouraged when the Minister said:

“The NHS has a duty to anyone whose life or long-term health is at immediate risk, but we cannot afford to become an international health service, providing free treatment for all. These changes will begin the process of developing a clearer, robust and fairer system of access to free NHS services which our review of the charging system will complete. I want to see a system which maintains the confidence of the public while preventing inappropriate free access and continuing our commitment to human rights and protecting vulnerable groups.”

I agree with all those words.

I initiated this debate to ensure that Members have an opportunity to put their views as part of the consultation, which, hopefully, will report later this year. To reiterate, the NHS is a national health service, not an international one. Although we all believe that health care treatment must be free at the point of use, it cannot be free at the point of abuse. I urge the Minister to consider carefully what I have said and what other Members will say in this debate. We care passionately about the NHS. We want the NHS to continue as it has for six decades now. This issue is one that I know all our constituents and everyone in the House, regardless of party politics, will wish to ensure is solved.