[Takae]

Originally Posted by Speak-Softly

Arrogant to think that English in England should be the default, no exceptions?

Would have thought it's far more arrogant to go to a foreign country and expect that country to make provision for your language.
Something that's always quickly pointed out by FM slagging off the "British abroad" and something I agree with.

1. Many countries do avail their public information materials in English.
2. Many English-language tourists overseas do expect something in English, especially when at hospital. It stands to reason that people of those countries would expect the same from us here.
3. What's wrong with availing materials in other languages for people who pay for the services? This is a crucial question that you and Rowan Hedge still haven't addressed with any good dose of common sense.

[green855]

OP isn't a very nice person.

[Takae]

Originally Posted by tnt

So what's wrong with them contacting their embassy in the UK? That's what you do when you get into trouble abroad - contact your embassy. Why is it automatically the UKs responsibility?

You can't be that dumb, surely? Either that or you're taking the mick.

Ah, this is getting too silly. I'm leaving this thread to you and others. Have fun.

[dengie dude]

If i go abroad i pay health nsurance so why not the visitors here from overseas

[dengie dude]

Originally Posted by green855

OP isn't a very nice person.

You dont know that.He raises a fair talking point

[Sammi_Roberts]

Originally Posted by Pamthehound

I was in Hospital just before christmas and I was amazed at the amount of foreigners who were attending clinics and taking up beds. Many had to have interpreters to translate for medics and one man in particular was "going home to Pakistan" once he got discharged after major surgery.He has never worked nor payed taxes here in the UK , but felt great because he was able to raise the airfare and select the best hospital for his operation on the NHS.

The sooner the NHS has a great big Payments Desk at the entrance to all GP surgeries and Hospitals for those who are not resident or pay taxes here the sooner the better and much needed funds for the NHS.

Most of your false assumptions have already been answered by others. But can I just ask you, did you speak Urdu or Punjabi with this man?

And what were you doing in the 'foreigners' ward. Can't for the life of me understand how else you would know they aren't British citizens.

[green855]

Originally Posted by dengie dude

You dont know that.He raises a fair talking point

I don't think he does at all. Would you refuse treatment to someone because they couldn't afford it? What is the world coming to

[dengie dude]

Originally Posted by Sammi_Roberts

Most of your false assumptions have already been answered by others. But can I just ask you, did you speak Urdu or Punjabi with this man?

And what were you doing in the 'foreigners' ward. Can't for the life of me understand how else you would know they aren't British citizens.

Maybe the man could speak a little bit of english.

[dengie dude]

Originally Posted by green855

I don't think he does at all. Would you refuse treatment to someone because they couldn't afford it? What is the world coming to

Well theres many who could affford the air fare to get here

[dengie dude]

Come to england everybody ,everythings free

[dengie dude]

Come on sammi dont die on me ,you know i value your opinions

[Sammi_Roberts]

Originally Posted by dengie dude

Come on sammi dont die on me ,you know i value your opinions

That's nice, shame you won't be around to share them

[Phil S]

Should Foreigners be made to pay for Health Care?

Yes - no argument.

[Lizzy11268]

Foreigners ARE made to pay for health care, before that healthcare is provided.

The exception to the prior payment is in an emergency situation where life saving medical care is immediately required. In that case payment is, for obvious reasons, not at the top of the priority list.

I'm sure some people get around it, and I'm sure some that have received life saving care end up not paying. But that would be true anywhere I imagine.

But the law is still clear.

[ladymoanalot]

Originally Posted by dengie dude

Maybe the man could speak a little bit of english.

I think there is more chance of Christ riding into my kitchen on a unicycle, than that man existing.

[Lizzy11268]

Originally Posted by ladymoanalot

I think there is more chance of Christ riding into my kitchen on a unicycle, than that man existing.

It seems dengie has been sent on a little holiday

[PinkPetunia]

Originally Posted by Phil S

Should Foreigners be made to pay for Health Care?Yes - no argument.

As a matter of fact there is a huge argument .,If you read the thread and took time to read that EU reciprocal agreements cover all EU citizens in EU states .They are entitled to all the same benefits that the citizens of that country is entitled too .So if the British citizens are entitled to health care in EU countries so too are EU citizens entitled to care on the NHS .
German , French , Irish , Spanish , Greek etc etcetc are also foreigners and perfectly entitled to health care in the UK

[Speak-Softly]

Easy way to solve this is for everybody to be asked to prove whether they are eligible at the GP and/or hospital.

Why would anybody object?
We have to provide ID for all sorts of things.

[DomJolly]

Originally Posted by dengie dude

You dont know that.He raises a fair talking point

I dont see any fair point, just a bunch of lies he/she made up, nothing backed up with any facts.

[Si_Crewe]

I think it's kinda silly how people are prepared to argue about this sort of thing for page after page without bothering to try and support their opinions with facts.

Doesn't anybody think it might be worth actually finding some statistics for lost NHS revenue due to "health tourism" and posting them up to support what they're saying rather than the constant speculation and assumption?
Last time I was discussing this (on a different forum IIRC) we could only find stat's for individual PCTs but they suggested that around 8% of NHS costs go unpaid due to patients returning to other countries.

I certainly object to "health tourism" but I've read people saying this is no longer possible so it'd be nice to see some actual evidence to support this.

[valkay]

Originally Posted by UKMikey

I hope I never get injured in a foreign country.

Not without sickness insurance anyway.

I had a bad case of food poisoning in America and couldn't get past the doctors recepsionist without providing my sickness insurance and credit card. Once i had done that I got excellent treatment and claimed the costs back off my insurance when i got back home.

[riceuten]

Originally Posted by Rowan Hedge

Yes refuse treatment to anyone who can it provide evidence of residency status, the NHS cannot carry on as it is and sooner or later we will all see increasing creeping charges for things that should be free at the point of use, if we don't start cracking down on health tourism.

And the NHS should stop printing stuff in languages other than English, god forbid I'd hate to see how much is wasted on translation services not just in the NHS but across local government ect.

Well, it's a tiny amount to be honest - I've paid those bills. Often as not we ask someone to bring someone in to translate for them, these days.

And what about clinics on the Costas and further north - should they be removing all their English signs at clinics and replacing them with monolingual Catalan and Spanish ones?

[riceuten]

Originally Posted by Si_Crewe

I think it's kinda silly how people are prepared to argue about this sort of thing for page after page without bothering to try and support their opinions with facts.

Doesn't anybody think it might be worth actually finding some statistics for lost NHS revenue due to "health tourism" and posting them up to support what they're saying rather than the constant speculation and assumption?
Last time I was discussing this (on a different forum IIRC) we could only find stat's for individual PCTs but they suggested that around 8% of NHS costs go unpaid due to patients returning to other countries.

I certainly object to "health tourism" but I've read people saying this is no longer possible so it'd be nice to see some actual evidence to support this.

The evidence is that the law and guidance exists for them to reclaim the costs - but for a variety of reasons, they don't or can't. In part, due to government cuts ensuring that Trusts cut non-frontline clinical staff.

[riceuten]

Originally Posted by Sammi_Roberts

Most of your false assumptions have already been answered by others. But can I just ask you, did you speak Urdu or Punjabi with this man?

And what were you doing in the 'foreigners' ward. Can't for the life of me understand how else you would know they aren't British citizens.

The patient was probably bragging loudly about the 12 bedroom goldplated house the Council had just allocated him and his 10 wives, all wearing hejabs, whilst eating his luxurious halal hospital food flown in at NHS expensse.

[LostFool]

Originally Posted by dengie dude

Come to england everybody ,everythings free

I think you mean Scotland. Free prescriptions and University education up there.