Foreigners to pay £200 to access UK NHS

New proposals will force foreigners in Britain to pay at least £200 a year to use NHS services.

A new set of government proposals will force those who visit Britain for over six months to pay at least £200 a year to use the countryâ„¢s weakening National Health Service (NHS).

UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to announce the measures, which aim to crackdown on the use of free healthcare services by non-British individuals.

The measures include a Å“healthcare levy” on those staying in the UK for more than six months, while those visiting for less than that will no longer have the option of seeing a General Practitioner (GP) without charges.

Å“We are a national health service, not an international health service, and I am determined to wipe out abuse in the system,” Hunt said.

This is while the NHS itself has been failing patients and losing public trust after a scandal that involved the deaths of 16 babies and mothers due to poor care.

The NHS is also subject to change by the UK government, which sparked a massive protest in London last month.

BGH/MOS/HE

Republished with permission from: Press TV