ITV Leaders Debate

From the BBC.

From April 6th

"Visitors from outside the EU who receive treatment in NHS hospitals in England are now being charged 150% of the cost under changes brought in to discourage "health tourism".

Non-EU citizens settling in the UK for longer than six months are also being required to pay a "health surcharge" as part of their visa applications.

The new rules from the Department of Health came into force on 6 April.

Primary care and A&E care continues to remain free."



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32281155

Something not right here. Are the press getting confused with the application surcharge?

As one doctor mentioned in the article, "we are doctors not border control" very true.

I don't think so, it outlines one or two things that are presently going on, the new surcharge being one of them.

Follow the links through. Something is not right. The press seem to have got this confused with the application surcharge. As Maharg said, a non story?

Also how can they apply a surcharge to cover any NHS costs and then also charge at the point of use? Cant be right, surely....

You're getting confused now

Yes. It is a possible newspaper scare story derived from that. Not confusion though. They would do it on purpose.

You are getting confused between the non EU people who are here on settlement visas (who don't pay - only initial NHS surcharge with visa) and the foreigners that are here on visit visas and the like who should pay.

You are right. Yes.

I clicked on the link on the BBC article thinking it would explain the charges at point of use for visitors.

You know what, reading the article again I think it is a load of press bull derived from the surcharge statement.

No quotes from anyone directly about it in the article, and the real truth in the last paragraph saying that nhs hope to recoup money and it's up to individual hospitals how they do things.

Reckon we've been duped by the Daily Mail once again.

That, I believe, is the certainly so in England but it is not true in Wales or Scotland. Besides which, they'd have to be absolutely certain that you had been out of the country which may not be straight-forward as British Passports are no longer stamped at the border.

Interesting then that an Australian-model points-based visa system may well be introduced by the next government. And before you have an apoplectic fit, it isn't just Ukip that proposes such a system but the Tories too. As I'vc mentioned before, the points-based system proposed favours those who have one or more ties to the UK and being already married to a British citizen would almost guarantee a visa being issued. And before I move on, it is worth bearing in mind that a recent poll revealed that 60% of the voting public want the UK to leave the EU and that includes 55% of those who say they support Labour.

Labour claims it will be the party that saves the NHS. Sorry, but in truth that won't be the case. The NHS needs a minimum of £8 billion a year by 2020 in extra funding to keep the service afloat and plug its £30 billion funding hole. So says Simon Stevens and he should know, he is the NHS' Chief Executive. Both the Conservative and Lib-Dems are fully-committed to provide this amount of spending but all Labour can manage is just £2.5 billion a year - by its own admission! Indeed Andy Burnham, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary, criticised Stevens for saying publicly that the NHS needed so much money and Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary admitted that Labour could not undertake such a high level of commitment. From their own mouths, then.

The King's Fund - the health think tank - stated that Labour’s failure to match the pledge raised questions about its ability to maintain standards of patient care. It's Chief Executive said "The big question is about funding, with Labour now the only one of the three main parties not to have pledged to find the £8 billion a year in additional funding called for in the NHS plan. Given this is the minimum requirement if the NHS is to continue to meet patient needs and maintain standards of care, this leaves a significant gap at the heart of its plans." Another health think-tank, the Nuffield Trust, has also warned Labour that failure to plug the funding gap would have "serious consequences for the viability of the service".

Well if the tories have said that it must be true

Saying what?

FUKP launch their manifesto on the back of a fag packet.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...sto-on-the-back-of-a-fag-packet-10178743.html

I see that there is another live debate tonight including all the leaders apart from Cameron and Clegg, I wonder if the Tories will rue the fact that they have turned down the offer to appear, it is after all giving another party leader the chance to shine and pick up a few valuable voters.

No doubt you will claim Farage will win it!

Should be good.

Why not Clegg? I thought it was just Cameron that had ducked out?