£150m in unpaid bills from patients from abroad

A freedom of information act has revealed that the NHS has been left with a £150 million deficit by visitors from overseas who have received treatment but failed to pay.

The Daily Mail claims that two London hospitals, King’s College Hospital in South London and East London’s Barts Health Trust, have been left with unpaid bills of £28 million each, including nearly £500,000 from one patient alone.

Data collected from 91 hospitals across the country showed they were collectively owed £149.5 million, with 23 NHS organisations owed more than £1 million each. More than 60 hospitals failed to provide details, meaning that the £150 million figure could be a lot higher.

The Department for Health has previously set out requirements that they raise upfront invoices for overseas visitors who are not entitled to NHS funded care.

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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