Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish guidance for healthcare professionals on the entitlements refugees have to NHS treatment.

The Department has published extensive guidance on implementing the overseas visitor charging regulations. This guidance is for use by all frontline staff providing National Health Service funded services, as well as the providers and commissioners of those services. It is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-overseas-visitors-hospital-charging-regulations

This guidance, most recently refreshed in December 2017, is clear that refugees (those granted asylum, humanitarian protection or temporary protection under the immigration rules), and their dependents, are exempt from charges for NHS-funded services. They are therefore eligible for free NHS care in the same way as someone who is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. This guidance also sets out that any individual who has made a formal application with the Home Office to be granted asylum, temporary protection or humanitarian protection which has not yet been determined is also exempt from charges, as are their dependants, as part of the application.

Advice and guidance for healthcare practitioners on the health needs of migrant patients, including refugees, was also published by Public Health England on 8 January 2018 and is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide