UK is ‘world maternity wing’ says expert in health tourism warning

The health service, which is in the middle of a £20bn efficiency drive, is being used as the “world’s maternity wing”, Professor J Meirion Thomas claimed.

Writing in The Spectator magazine, he said there have often been cases of foreign women arriving in the UK during late pregnancy, often after detecting a complication.

“They come on a visitor’s visa and present to A&E while in labour. Often the patient refuses to pay, claiming that a childbirth qualifies as emergency care and therefore cannot be refused. In this way, the NHS can be used as the world’s maternity wing.”

The cancer specialist added there is “much evidence” of identity fraud, where expectant mothers give a registered name, address and NHS number – but are found to have different blood groups from the one on record.

He said there are similar “abuses” in oncology, HIV, infertility and in treatment of renal failure.

Prof Thomas, a consultant surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital London, who holds a chair in surgical oncology at Imperial College, said he has heard “scandalous” reports of NHS abuse from numerous overseas visitor officers – who are employed by hospitals to identify, interview, invoice and recover costs from individuals.

“This abuse may be costing the NHS not millions but billions of pounds every year,” he wrote.

He urged Ministers to stop giving NHS numbers to overseas visitors and called for an audit.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Last year we began a wholesale review of the system to address concerns about access, cut down abuse and consider how best to ensure those who should pay do so. We are looking at a range of options and will set out proposals in due course.”