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We pay �900m to help Britons who fall sick in Europe but get just �48m back to pay for visitors' NHS treatment

We pay �903.4m to cover the healthcare costs of Britons abroad
But, we only receive �48.7m back to pay for Europeans who fall ill here
Jeremy Hunt promised to 'shake up the system' to ensure fairness

By Daniel Martin

PUBLISHED: 22:25, 29 April 2013 | UPDATED: 07:34, 30 April 2013

The UK pays almost �1billion a year to cover the healthcare costs of Britons who fall ill on the continent � but receives only a fraction of that for NHS treatment of European visitors.

Official figures show that last year taxpayers handed �903.4million to European governments and insurance providers to pay for the care of Britons.

But the NHS managed to collect only �48.7million from the same European countries to pay for the care of their citizens who fall ill here.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt promised to 'shake up the system' to ensure fairness

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt promised to 'shake up the system' to ensure fairness

It means that for every �18 the UK sends to Europe to pay for healthcare, it gets only �1 back.

The figures underline how ineffective NHS hospitals are at clawing back money they are owed compared with those in Europe, amid claims that �health tourism� costs British taxpayers billions a year. Many NHS trusts do not even keep records of debt.

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Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt promised to make hospitals improve. �Our NHS processes to collect money from visitors aren�t good enough,� he said. �That is why we are going to radically shake up the system to ensure we get fairness.�

Earlier this month cancer specialist Professor J Meirion Thomas warned of a �massive and escalating problem� of foreigners travelling to Britain for cancer, HIV, kidney and infertility treatment, then leaving without paying.

He said the NHS was also becoming the �world�s maternity wing� as expectant mothers arrive just to give birth without paying.
Experts have warned of Europeans travelling to the UK to get free treatment for cancer, HIV, kidney and infertility treatment

Experts have warned of Europeans travelling to the UK to get free treatment for cancer, HIV, kidney and infertility treatment

Some of the disparity in the figures, obtained with a Freedom of Information request, is because more British pensioners retire to the continent than those from the EU here.

igures were not available to show the overall number of European visitors to the UK compared with Britons going abroad. But there are 1.4million migrant workers from the EU here, against 330,000 Britons employed in other European countries. In 2011/12, the UK paid Ireland �368million for treating Britons who fell ill there, but only �23million came back the other way.

Some �247million was paid to Spain, but just �3.2million came back. France received �197million and returned �6.3million. Italy got �11million and sent back �850,000, and Greece collected �8million and returned �500,000.

Julia Manning, of the think-tank 2020health, said: �The fact that the NHS fails to keep proper records of overseas visitors who come here from the EU is indicative of two problems: the reluctance of staff to think of the NHS as a business that should be run as efficiently as possible, and a system which depends on governments chasing reimbursement, rather than visitors paying up front.�
Where The Money Goes.jpg

Robert Oxley, of the TaxPayers� Alliance, said: �This is an incredible amount of taxpayers� money leaving the NHS at a time when budgets are tight. It�s vital that checks are in place.�

The Department of Health highlighted the issue of pensioners. Those who retire on the continent are classed as �non-permanent residents�, meaning EU countries can claim payment for their healthcare.

The department said: �The NHS is not there to serve the health needs of the world and we will not tolerate abuse of the system.

�Last year we began a review 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 proposals.

More tripe from a government who cares more and gives more of our money to foreigners than to their own people, if you want change and see a country with freedom of speech, one law for all, jobs, housing, real education by real teachers, hospitals that do not kill you for profit to make room for foreigners, then do something about it.