The Student Room Group

Are immigrants and refugees overloading the NHS?

seems like the NHS is struggling even more since the arrival of all the newcomers - so , is this a major factor and should immigrants with less than 20yrs residenccy be made to pay?

Those working in NHS could be exempt

how about it?

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Original post by So-Sarah
seems like the NHS is struggling even more since the arrival of all the newcomers - so , is this a major factor and should immigrants with less than 20yrs residenccy be made to pay?

Those working in NHS could be exempt

how about it?



All what newcomers lol? You realise we're living in the UK not Germany?

The NHS has been struggling year on year since 2010 - interestingly enough that's what happens when you cut bed numbers and social care and make working conditions so unpleasant that your existing staff move abroad/retire en masse and no one new can be enticed to replace them. Add to that a near decade long pay cut across the board and scrapping nurse's bursaries...

But yes, all of the above is irrelevant and everything will be fixed if we start charging immigrants :dunce:
Reply 2
it would certainly bring more money into the system and reduce demand, nowt wrong with that
(edited 6 years ago)
No. It's people turning up to A&E when they really should be visiting their GP / chemist that's the problem.
Original post by So-Sarah
it would certainly bring more money into the system and reduce demand, nowt wrong with that


The whole point of the NHS is that it's free at the point of use for all UK citizens. You don't have to have been here for anywhere near 20 years to become a citizen so restricting access on the basis of that criteria would probably violate the Equality Act or thereabouts, as someone who's been here for five years and is a citizen has as much right to use the NHS as someone who was born here.
Reply 5
Original post by Tiger Rag
No. It's people turning up to A&E when they really should be visiting their GP / chemist that's the problem.

the numbers of undecated refugees and migrants doing that has strained the system - ie. it's all gone up since the immigrant hordes started coming here
there are plenty of problems caused by natives with unhealthy lifestyles....
Original post by So-Sarah
the numbers of undecated refugees and migrants doing that has strained the system - ie. it's all gone up since the immigrant hordes started coming here


That's nothing to do with refugees though. Or do you actually have proof it's just a refugee thing?
Reply 8
Original post by Steliata
The whole point of the NHS is that it's free at the point of use for all UK citizens. You don't have to have been here for anywhere near 20 years to become a citizen so restricting access on the basis of that criteria would probably violate the Equality Act or thereabouts, as someone who's been here for five years and is a citizen has as much right to use the NHS as someone who was born here.


Many migs and refugees are not citizens so they should pay - and the Equality act? well seeing as we are soon leaving the EUSSR that's basically irrelevant
Immigrants and refugees are NOT overloading the NHS
Original post by So-Sarah
it would certainly bring more money into the system and reduce demand, nowt wrong with that


Reduce demand from whom?

"Certainly"? Says who? You?

I work in a medium sized hospital in one of the most stereotypically English cities in the country. I can assure you that the medical wards I work on are not populated or "overloaded" by refugees or migrants - I can go days and weeks without seeing any patients from an ethnic minority background actually. The patients on trollies in the corridors of the A&E (day and night now) or being brought in by actual queues of ambulances are not migrants or refugees. Neither are the patients stuck in hospital beds because there's nowhere else to safely discharge them to. What you're saying simply doesn't match up to the reality of the situation.

Or is this going to be another one of those "we don't need experts to tell us what we know makes sense" arguments?

Edit: Caught up with the recent posts, okay you're a troll. Bye!
Reply 11
Original post by the bear
there are plenty of problems caused by natives with unhealthy lifestyles....

stop beating about the bush - the NhS has suffered more over recent yrs due to all the new arrivals - how do you propose to sort this out other than avoiding the elephant in the room
Original post by ellie0497
Immigrants and refugees are NOT overloading the NHS


they are pretty much running the NHS.
Reply 13
Original post by ellie0497
Immigrants and refugees are NOT overloading the NHS


then how come the NHS has started going down the *****er since around 2000?
Original post by So-Sarah
then how come the NHS has started going down the *****er since around 2000?


The NHS is relying on immigrants and refugees. They're doing the jobs many nationals are not qualified for.
Reply 15
Original post by ellie0497
The NHS is relying on immigrants and refugees. They're doing the jobs many nationals are not qualified for.


If they work there then they can use it free - and it will be easier to get a work permit for NHS than other jobs.

But other migrants should pay something.

That's fair.
The government should be enforcing the millions owed to the nhs under reciprocal agreements
And whilst nhs staff do not wish to become border guards “, more stringent methods need to be employed to ensure that those who are not entitled to free care are not able to abuse the system. I can’t think of another country in the world that does not ensure it sees proof that the bill will be paid before treatment commences.
If you are entitled to free nhs care, fine. If you are not then until payment is received care should not be provided. This would cut down on the small but expensive amount of health tourism we have.
If we were tougher we wouldn’t be exploited.
Like this woman did:
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4176406/amp/Meet-Nigerian-cost-500-000-IVF-triplets.html
No u
Original post by So-Sarah
then how come the NHS has started going down the *****er since around 2000?


You're staring at a one way mirror. There are other factors that have affected the NHS and made it go "down the *****er since around 2000". Budget cuts, ageing population, a lack of knowledge among people on what symptoms require immediate attention. Fewer doctors/nurses etc.
Not everything that goes to **** is the fault of everybody else.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 19
Apple: what is that supposed to mean?

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