Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money has been collected through NHS claims for charges from overseas visitors in the last five reported financial years.
The Department is committed to working with NHS England to ensure effective implementation of The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015.
The Department publishes data on the income identified from chargeable overseas visitors in England as part of the Department of Health and Social Care Annual Report and Accounts. The cash payments received by the NHS from overseas visitors are also published annually in the consolidated NHS provider accounts. The following table shows the aggregate income identified, and cash payments received by the NHS in England from overseas visitors, over the last five years:
Year | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | |
Aggregate income identified | £91,000,000 | £93,000,000 | £61,000,000 | £67,000,000 | £100,000,000 | |
Cash payments received in-year | £35,000,000 | £39,000,000 | £21,000,000 | £25,000,000 | £32,000,000 |
Source: the Department of Health and Social Care Annual Report and Accounts and Consolidated NHS provider accounts.
NHS charges can be recovered up to six years from the date of invoice, and therefore the amount recovered in a year does not necessarily mean it was identified in the same financial year.