Medact believes that healthcare should be freely accessible for all who need it on ethical, humanitarian, public health and economic grounds. However, the government’s current policy trajectory is set to further hinder migrant access to healthcare services a move that is likely to cost considerably more than is being made apparent. We see these proposals as…

Summary According to the government, new measures are needed to combat ‘health tourism’ (i.e. visitors who come to the UK with the express intention of seeking free NHS care) and to improve the sustainability and fairness of the health system. It justifies this with “research” commissioned by the government to accompany the Bill, which claims…

Any non-EEA citizen who is not ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK is liable for charging in secondary care, with some notable exemptions relating to membership to specific groups and specific services.  However, eligibility for free primary care is unaffected by these regulations, in fact, GPs have complete discretion to register whomever they wish. If there…