Nhs Identity Cards

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287531/British-citizens-forced-carry-ID-cards-access-free-NHS-care-crackdown-health-tourism.html

In view of the NHS being abused by health tourists, would the introduction of NHS membership ID cards be a good idea?

[boxtops]

We've already all got individual NI numbers, I wouldn't mind carrying a card - but you can bet that there would be plenty of fraudulent cards issued by those who could make a profit from it.....

[bednobs]

yes

[Noth43]

Haven't we already got NHS numbers?

[boxtops]

we already carry an EHIC card (Or should) if we are travelling in Europe, when the boot's on the other foot....

[VHG]

There would soon be people inside the NHS who would be able to provide these cards for people not entitled to this free treatment.

In fact this was shown on a documentary a few motnths ago, an Asian man (of course) who worked for the NHS willing to supply fake cards for illegal immigrants and others.

One example

http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-60427489/exposed-the-bogus-health-cards-scam-nhs-fraud-crooks

[Sqad]

Excellent idea...we have in Spain Targeta Sanitaria Individual on it a small Sim with all your medications which can be used at any chemist in Spain.

No card....no treatment.........unless you are an emergency.

[netibiza]

But sqad, there is no photo on our health cards or our Residencias (which aren't anymore but can't be bothered to type whole title) so if asked have to show a driver's licence to prove who we are, but the card system is great otherwise.

[Sqad]

netty...yes I agree, no photograph is a bit of pain.....but an excellent idea otherwise.

[FredPuli43]

Good old Daily Mail. Never one to make a dull story stay dull. "Could be forced ...to carry ID cards. Er, no. Might be asked for some proof of residence if the doctor doesn't know them and, presumably, they have not got an NI number provenly going back a year or two.

[dave50]

Yes and also we must be prepared not to be soft and actually turn people away from hospitals and refuse to treat them, no matter what is wrong with them. We have to be ruthless to ensure that these people get the message.

[Old_Geezer]

Any imposition of ID cards on a free citizen (up front or back door) is an idea that needs to be slung out. I trust this is another suggestion of this nature that isn't going anywhere. It is of concern though that someone keeps suggesting this sort of thing, presumably until they get the answer they want.

[jake-the-peg]

Personally I have never had a problem with ID cards

I've had a big problem with having to carry one at all times.

That's why this story is being a bit naughty saying 'could be forced to carry'

Er no - that's not what's being suggested at all is it? merely that you should have to have proof of entitlement.

That's kind of in place through your GP already so it's not really a stunning initiative - having your medical details encoded on a chip sounds a good idea but the new national database has that already and doesn't rely on the data on the chip being up to date every time you have treatment.

All in all meh!

The real change here is the suggested change in the residency test

I wonder what Ashcroft thinks of thet - maybe there's a get out for Belize citizens

[Zeuhl]

How strange....

The Daily Wail article in the link provided is completely devoid of any statistics or facts of any description that might substantiate how big or small a problem 'health tourism' actually is.

Sloppy politics or just sloppy journalism?

[sp1814]

Hmmm...

Last week, the Conservative party were pushed into third place in the Eastleigh by-election.

And then at the weekend, we hear that the UK will pull out of the European Human Right Act, and today we hear discussion about ID cards to clamp down on 'health tourists'.

Perhaps I'm being cynical, but could these leaks have anything to do with the Conservatives trying to appease the right wing of the party, and those voters who have abandoned them (even if temporarily) for UKIP?

[Noth43]

looks more than coincidental sp.

[sp1814]

Also, we would need to understand what the costs of administering this new system would be.

...because there would have to be a whole IT infrastructure put in place which would link NHS numbers to a production facility which would have to be set up with high level encryption algorythms in order to prevent fraud.

Basically, we'd be creating a system much like that used by the Passport Office.

Entirely feasible, but the cost of setting up, administering, policing and upgrading the system could cost far in excess of the amounts being lost to 'health tourism...which according to Fullfact.org, may be as low as £7million.

http://fullfact.org/factchecks/health_tourism_costs_nhs_reform-2805

Zeuhl - In the past the Daily Mail have quoted £200million, but this estimate was made in 2003 by debt collection agency CCI Legal Services, which works with the NHS to recover payments owed.

The £7million figure is a real 'write off' - where the NHS has given up on foreign debt.

The company CCI tried to estimate the cost of overseas patients that go undetected by the health service, and therefore claim free care for which they were not eligible. This came out to £50million to £200million.

The Mail (and other sources) chose to report the higher estimate.

Furthermore, these figures are now ten years old. And as FullFact.org has commented, there is greater awareness of this now, so that figure may be lower.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Good old Daily Mail. Never one to make a dull story stay dull. ///

Good old FredPuli43l. Never one to make a news story, stay just a news story, but continuously turnsthem into an anti-Daily Mail rant.

[craft1948]

I've always had a national health card, I'm so sad I know my number by heart.

[sp1814]

craft1948

Even worse. I know my NI number...and for the life of me, I don't know why!!