The odd few tourist costs .. We can split the estimated costs into two categories:
Normal use: The
estimated cost of
normal use of the NHS—by foreign visitors who've ended up being treated while in England—is £1.8 billion a year (
including a small number of European visitors treated in the rest of the UK). This includes the cost of treating them in A&E, though visitors aren't currently charged for this, and the cost of treating some foreigners resident in England who currently don't incur charges.
Only around £500 million per year is estimated to be recoverable or chargeable
according to the Department for Health. In reality only £100 million was recovered in 2013/14.
Deliberate use: This is the
estimated cost of treating those travelling to England
deliberately for free treatment, or those who take advantage of the health system while here (which means using it more intensively than they might have done otherwise). This group is particularly difficult to quantify as we don't really know who most of them are. It's thought they could cost the NHS somewhere between £110 million and £280 million a year, on top of the £1.8 billion a year.
