27/08/2019
This morning, whilst enjoying a drink in a coffee shop, I saw the front page of the Daily Mail, not something I frequently suffer.
The Daily Fail has, yet again, deliberately taken the 'facts' and presented them in a way as to stir up the xenophobia they used so well to promote Brexit; looking after their own interests and ignoring the risks to its readership.
They then exaggerate the cost by ignoring the true cost of such resources as nurses and doctors; again, with the see intent of stirring up hatred against foreigners, which for the most part means those who aren't white and / or don't speak with an English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish accent.
They way they present their stories is aimed at not just those who are accurately described as 'health tourists', but at a much wider audience.
The fact is, that £150m is a drop in the ocean when it comes to NHS spending and our doctors and nurses are not best served by trying to identify those who should be paying for their medical care, rather than just getting on and delivering that care.
We are supposed to live in a humane society, one that cares for our fellow man and which would not wish to see people suffer unnecessarily.
When we consider how incredibly under-resourced the NHS would be without migrant workers, many of whom may come from the same countries as these 'health tourists', the cost of providing NHS healthcare doesn't seem too excessive.
And then it's worth noting that many of the health tourists (people who deliberately visit the UK t receive medical care) are actually British ex-pats.
Of course we call them ex-pats when referring to Brits abroad and save the divisive term 'migrants' for those who dare to seek a new life here.
Piyush Pushkar wrote, about two years ago, about the human cost the 'health tourism' crackdown the 'health tourism' crackdown. You can read his article for the BMA here.
I agree with Piyush when he says that healthcare is a fundamental human right.
I also agree with him when he says, "Systems to charge patients deter many people from presenting in the first place, including documented and undocumented migrants. They may not present at all, but more often, it means that they present later, when their condition has advanced further."
This not only means they are likely to be more ill and less likely to benefit fully from treatment, but the treatment may well cost more.
Health, lives and money all put at risk because the government wants to crack down on health tourism and the Daily Mail wants to continue stirring hate.
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