St George’s hospital considers passport checks for pregnant patients

New plans considered by St George’s hospital may mean pregnant patients will have to prove they are eligible for free NHS treatment, by showing ID such as a valid passport.

The hospital has said the checks will help it tackle health tourism and would only be used for non-urgent patients. It also maintained that the hospital had a duty to use resources wisely, as well as provide care and treatment to patients requiring the hospital's services.

The hospital currently has a high number of patients from overseas who are not eligible for NHS treatment.

Papers from the Trust’s Board Meeting cite that ‘if no action is taken, from December 2016 the cost of health care given to non-eligible patients could be £4 million to £5 million per annum.’

A spokesman for St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "Like many London Trusts, we treat a high number of patients from overseas who are not eligible for NHS treatment.

"The guidelines state that hospitals should endeavour to check patients for their eligibility when accessing non-emergency NHS treatment. We are not doing this effectively enough at present, and are looking at ways in which we can improve this."

However, some health workers have opposed the move.

Cathy Warwick of the Royal College of Midwives said: "I would ask the trust to clarify their policy and to give assurances that all pregnant women who need care will receive it, no matter what their immigration status.

"To be clear, the law says, and government policy states, that trusts must offer care to women in labour, irrespective of their immigration status in the country."

She added: “It could deter women from seeking care in a timely fashion. This could potentially have a serious impact on the health of the mother and their baby and the outcome of the pregnancy.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts in England are legally obliged to check whether patients are eligible for non-emergency NHS treatment free at the point of use, and recover costs from the overseas patients who are not normally resident in the UK where charges apply. We welcome St George's pilot to test new processes to recoup costs from overseas patients and look forward to the results."