Sophie wrote:

One of the reasons the UK has so many illegals (the number is simply unknown - but is believed to run into millions) is the easy accesss to medical treatment.[/quote]

Please tell me how 'illegals' can access NHS treatment. In order to register with a UK GP you have to be legally resident in the UK and not only that, you have to have recourse to public funds.

A friend of mine is an Indian woman whose (Indian) husband is an eminent surgeon here. Both their Indian passports are stamped 'no recourse to (UK) ublic funds'. This family are paying thousands in tax to this country yet would never be able to get anything back should they stay here long term and fall on hard times.

I would like to know how an illegal immigrant can simply arrive here and get free treatment.

Tabloid journalist may be your vocation, Sophie.

In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
dont you people learn anything when it's fucking well thrust in front of your frigging noses ?..hello ! ..2008 economic meltdown !!..bank bailouts !!..

Labour Governments (yet again) costing us Zillions ?

IMF must get ready for the phone call every time there's a Loony Labour gov !!!!???

In The Know- I am trying so hard to save you from a re-education camp when the revolution comes.

You can blame much on the Blair government which I do not consider a true Labour government except in name only. It abandoned so many Labour Party principals and in many ways was more to the right than the Thatcher government.

The NHS is one of the great achievements of the Labour Party and it's very monolithic size means there will be problems which could be overcome.

Do the rich use the NHS ?. Those in Australia where there is also plenty of privatised medicine routinely use public health for everyday illnesses and save upo their private helthcare for serious prob;lems which is just outright mean.

you are correct stevimp- I can easily live under true capitalism and it has great advantages but the USA has degenerated ever since Regeanism was set in motion to demloish FDR's 'New Deal' which ushered in elememts of socialism into the USA but also created the USA's greatest era of prosperity ever seen and which demonstrated that a hybrid system of capitalism and socialism could work supoerbly and create a huge well off middle-class that benefited everybody.

The USA has degenerated into Robber Baron status as it was before the Great Depression.

david wrote:
Sophie wrote:

One of the reasons the UK has so many illegals (the number is simply unknown - but is believed to run into millions) is the easy accesss to medical treatment.

Please tell me how 'illegals' can access NHS treatment. In order to register with a UK GP you have to be legally resident in the UK and not only that, you have to have recourse to public funds.

A friend of mine is an Indian woman whose (Indian) husband is an eminent surgeon here. Both their Indian passports are stamped 'no recourse to (UK) ublic funds'. This family are paying thousands in tax to this country yet would never be able to get anything back should they stay here long term and fall on hard times.

I would like to know how an illegal immigrant can simply arrive here and get free treatment.

Tabloid journalist may be your vocation, Sophie.[/quote]

Someone I know works in a local hospital and it is common knowledge to the staff there that some people arrive in the UK for treatment as it is done safer, quicker and free compared to there home countries. We met a family who had moved here puprosely so their child could be treated in the UK as it was better care that was free and this was direct from the father who was a GP! I also met a Brazilian man who was treated for cancer here and is now going to live back in Brazil but continue to claim his state pension. Surely there needs to be changes to the current system?

They may well have moved here to get treatment, but I doubt they were illegal. If you're illegal you're outside the 'system' andwould presumably not be able to get NHS treatment.

david wrote:
and would presumably not be able to get NHS treatment

UK A&E departments do not deny treatment to anyone and if you have a UK address, it is not difficult to register with a doctor.

regarding A & E, that's a bit irrelevant to the discussion, and it's the case of most countries I know that you will not be turned away from A & E in case of need.

I'm sure 'illegals' would steer clear of registering with GPs, it's kind of flagging the fact that you are here.

As for moving to a foreign country in order to get treatment for a family member- I know would.

david wrote:
it's the case of most countries I know that you will not be turned away from A & E in case of need

it's kind of flagging the fact that you are here

David, you haven't been to the USA then!

Surgeries have no obligation to advise the immigration authorities of new patients; proof of UK residency is required, only.

Angel's last point/question is very valid.

Denise, you have caught me out by citing the obvious example I missed, the US!

Come to think of it, the 2 times I've had to go to A and E abroad were in EU countries (France and Hungary). I was treated quickly and efficiently both times.

I actually didn't know that you didn't need to show right of abode or anything similar in order to register with a GP. That is lax in the extreme. Mind you, it does remind me how very open to abuse our voting system is- just turn up on the day with no polling card or ID, say 'I'm Mr Bloggs from number 15' and there you are. We'd never accept that from any elections we were monitoring elsewhere in the world.

But I am rambling off topic...

david wrote:
Mind you, it does remind me how very open to abuse our voting system is- just turn up on the day with no polling card or ID, say 'I'm Mr Bloggs from number 15' and there you are. We'd never accept that from any elections we were monitoring elsewhere in the world.


I'd be very surprised if that is correct.

need to show right of abode or anything similar

I am rambling off topic







First point 'right of abode'

No, only a utility bill

Second, yes

End of my thread input

Angel wrote:
david wrote:
Mind you, it does remind me how very open to abuse our voting system is- just turn up on the day with no polling card or ID, say 'I'm Mr Bloggs from number 15' and there you are. We'd never accept that from any elections we were monitoring elsewhere in the world.


I'd be very surprised if that is correct.

Actually that is correct. On your polling card it actually says that you do not need to take your polling card with you. Not that that's proof of ID anyway, you could have anyone's card. They just cross your name off a list.