By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterTHE BRITISH Government has re-stated that persons who are no longer living in the United Kingdom (UK) are not eligible for all health benefits under its National Health Service (NHS) free of cost.
In fact, it said it will be implementing new measures to prevent non-residents from illegally accessing free health benefits under the health service.
Mark Waller, Press and Political Affairs Officer at the British High Commission on Tuesday provided The Gleaner with correspondence indicating that general practitioners would be compelled to regard all visitors accessing health care as 'private patients' in order to prevent any possible abuse of the NHS.
This, among other proposals aimed at better monitoring the UK's health sector are currently being examined through a series of consultations expected to be completed by August 13.
The correspondence quotes John Hutton, UK's Health Minister as saying that "the proposals we have set out in the consultation will strengthen the current system so that general practice staff and overseas visitors are in no doubt who is eligible for free access to a GP (general practitioner) and who isn't."
Last week, Jamaicans living in the UK suggested at a Jamaican Diaspora Conference in Kingston that the Jamaican Government lobby the British Government for a transfer of health benefits for returning residents.
But Peter Mathers, British High Commissioner to Jamaica had said last year that since the inception of the NHS in 1948, eligibility for NHS benefits has been solely dependent on residence in the United Kingdom.
For 2003/04 it cost 64 billion pounds to fund free health services under the NHS and of this amount only 13 billion pounds represented insurance contributions.
Mr. Mathers was responding to a letter from Percival LaTouche, the president of the Association for the Resettlement of Returning Residents, who had said that many returning residents contributing up to 50 years of service to the 'mother land' were experiencing difficulties paying for health services here.
In the meantime, the British High Commission said that visitors to the UK currently receiving social security retirement pensions will still receive free emergency health services including in-patient treatment but all other visitors from Jamaica needing hospital treatment will only receive free treatment in the Casualty or Emergency department.
