Ministers have been accused of a cover-up for refusing to release official reports into whether migrants’ health has been harmed since they began charging upfront for NHS care before they can be treated.
The leaders of Britain’s doctors, nurses and midwives are demanding the release of three government reviews into how environment immigration policies have affected access to NHS care. in 2017, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) commissioned three separate investigations into key aspects of its decision for NHS trusts in England to implement charging from October 2017.
The DHSC has resisted attempts by MPs and campaigners to see a summary of the findings.
Yusef Azad, its director of strategy, said: “The government is always asking health professionals to provide evidence of the harms of NHS migrant charging and data-sharing practices. Yet when we do – and there is a lot of evidence – the findings are buried.”
Upfront charging was introduced as part of the government’s hostile environment approach to immigration developed while Theresa May was the home secretary from 2010-16. Under the upfront charging system, any access to GP and A&E care is free but migrant have to pay for most forms of hospital care, such as chemotherapy and treatment of heart conditions.
A DHSC spokesperson said: “We conducted a review on the impact of the 2017 amendments to the NHS charging regulations with evidence submitted by stakeholders, some of it in confidence. All evidence was considered thoroughly before a summary of the findings and steps the department is taking was presented to parliament in December 2018.
“We are working with NHS Improvement to ensure providers are applying the regulations properly and fairly and we continue to keep the impact of the regulations under review, working closely with interested groups to further develop our guidance for patients and healthcare professionals.”
