- Conference
- 2018 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 1 December 2017
- Decision
- Carried
This conference notes; that this government is attempting to blame and scapegoat the relatively small number of migrants who use NHS care. They estimate the horrible phrased “health tourism” as £200million. Somehow this is identified by the government as a key problem for the NHS when they have cut £22,000 million, over 100 times more, from NHS budgets.
The NHS and care sector would collapse overnight if those not born in the UK left. Migrants collectively already contribute more to public services than they take out.
This government has introduced passport checks and charges for all but a small number of emergency procedures.
Conference believes these proposals;
i)are discriminatory and will lead to BME patients whether migrants or not, whether entitled or not, being refused treatment they are entitled to and not presenting with illness due to fear of being charged (both of which has already happened) eg an 8 day baby asked for their passport!
ii)will lead to patients who fear being charged, delaying presentation at health care until their illness has developed into an emergency, costing them and the NHS more.
iii)are not cost effective, as mechanisms to check all NHS patients and charge those not entitled, at all appointments, with all the training, form-filling, bill will cost more than any money gained from the charges.
iv)will open staff up to accusation of institutional racism and to anger from patients being asked.
v)potentially opens up staff to professional criticism if they refuse treatment to someone in medical need with adverse consequences.
Conference calls the Health Service Group Executive to:
1)campaign against these proposals, writing to our government, lobbying MPs, supporting protests as appropriate;
2)to issue clear guidance for health service staff faced with this moral dilemma of being asked to implement these proposals. And support as appropriate, within Unison guidelines, those who feel unable professionally to cooperate with this discriminatory practice.