News / International
Zim woman still being chased for £3,000 unpaid 'health tourism' bill
16 Mar 2015 at 12:58hrs | Views
Daniel Poulter MP meets Caroline Nyadzayo. She owes the NHS £3,000 (SIMON FINLAY)
Zimbabwe-born Caroline Nyadzayo's unpaid bill is part of the £62million cost of 'health tourism' to Britain.
The 34-year-old, an advertising executive in Africa, was pictured with UK health minister Daniel Poulter on his visit to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital when the maternity suite was reopened.
The mother said she complained to Mr Poulter about the charge and said she was under huge pressure to pay it. But Mr Poulter has reportedly said he does not remember being told that.
Miss Nyadzayo, now in Harare, told The Sunday Times it was 'unfair' she was still being pursued, because the baby's father is British.
She said: 'I know the system may believe I travelled [to Britain] to abuse the NHS benefits, but as a matter of fact I just wanted to have my first baby as a family and surely everyone is entitled to that.'
The couple were questioned about the birth when they entered Britain at Norwich Airport in October 2013. However, they were released when they agreed they would be paying for it.
Miss Nyadzayo said: 'I was told because I was 31 weeks pregnant it was likely I was going to use the NHS to my advantage. We said we would pay for the birth. But we had no idea how much we'd be charged.'
Her case was profiled as figures suggested hospitals' failure to claw back the cost of treating Europeans is costing taxpayers millions of pounds a week.
The so-called 'health tourism gap' between the amount the NHS collects from EU patients and the total hospitals on the continent receive from Britain has soared to almost £700million.
It means the UK is now paying out £15 for the healthcare costs of Britons who fall ill abroad for every £1 it gets back for the NHS treatment of European visitors.
The Prime Minister and Health Secretary have pledged to introduce tough new measures to recoup an extra £500million from foreigners annually by 2017/18.
The 34-year-old, an advertising executive in Africa, was pictured with UK health minister Daniel Poulter on his visit to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital when the maternity suite was reopened.
The mother said she complained to Mr Poulter about the charge and said she was under huge pressure to pay it. But Mr Poulter has reportedly said he does not remember being told that.
Miss Nyadzayo, now in Harare, told The Sunday Times it was 'unfair' she was still being pursued, because the baby's father is British.
She said: 'I know the system may believe I travelled [to Britain] to abuse the NHS benefits, but as a matter of fact I just wanted to have my first baby as a family and surely everyone is entitled to that.'
Miss Nyadzayo said: 'I was told because I was 31 weeks pregnant it was likely I was going to use the NHS to my advantage. We said we would pay for the birth. But we had no idea how much we'd be charged.'
Her case was profiled as figures suggested hospitals' failure to claw back the cost of treating Europeans is costing taxpayers millions of pounds a week.
The so-called 'health tourism gap' between the amount the NHS collects from EU patients and the total hospitals on the continent receive from Britain has soared to almost £700million.
It means the UK is now paying out £15 for the healthcare costs of Britons who fall ill abroad for every £1 it gets back for the NHS treatment of European visitors.
The Prime Minister and Health Secretary have pledged to introduce tough new measures to recoup an extra £500million from foreigners annually by 2017/18.
Source - dailymail
