UK urged to waive NHS fee for overseas medics

By Amit Roy

THE chairman of the British Medical As­sociation (BMA) council has written to the home secretary, Priti Patel, pointing out that international doctors are dying in the service of the NHS and suggesting the government waive the health sur­charge doctors have to pay at least during the period of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul also said the same concession should be made to doctors from overseas who are poised to come to the UK, because they are urgently needed now more than ever before.

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In his budget presented last month, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the surcharge levied on an immigrant using the NHS will be increased from £400 to £620. A new discounted rate of £470 applies for children aged under 18, but the lower rate for international students was also raised from £300 to £470.

The immigration health surcharge, which was introduced in April 2015, applies on anyone in the UK on a work, study or family visa for longer than six months in order to raise funds for the NHS.

Dr Nagpaul also wants Patel to relax the immigration rules so that foreign doctors already working for the NHS are given in­definite leave to remain in the UK.

Current Home Office rules that make it difficult for international students to switch sponsors should be suspended so that the students can make the changes without harming their immigration status and work where they are most needed, Dr Nagpaul has said.

In his letter, he told Patel: “As you will be aware the risks to doctors working on the frontline are very real. The first three doc­tors to sadly die in the UK due to Covid-19 were international doctors. This illustrates the sacrifices that all doctors make and the risks they are willing to take to care for critically ill patients in the NHS.

“Our international medical graduate members are understandably worried about protecting their families whose im­migration status will be dependent on theirs. We therefore urge the Home Office to give indefinite leave to remain to the de­pendents of international doctors who die while working in the NHS due to Covid-19.

“The BMA is calling for the following measures to be put in place for all interna­tional doctors and healthcare workers pro­viding care in the NHS, and international medical students yet to join the workforce

--“All immigration policy changes to be in­cluded in the immigration rules.

--“All doctors and healthcare professionals to be exempt from the health surcharge, at least for the duration of the pandemic.

--“To grant special dispensation to all international medical students, and healthcare workers to switch sponsors automatically without having to apply for another visa.

--“All international doctors to obtain in­definite leave to remain automatically.”

Dr Nagpaul also acknowledged one gesture that has already been made: “The BMA welcomes the guidance is­sued by the Home Office on March 31, 2020, allowing those impacted by Cov­id-19, including doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers to au­tomatically extend their visa for a year, and for this extension to be free of charge and exempt from the health surcharge.”

Britain said last month it would automatically renew the vi­sas of foreign healthcare workers without charge to ensure they could focus on fight­ing the coronavirus outbreak.

The extension will apply to about 2,800 doctors, nurses and paramedics working in the NHS whose visas were due to expire before October 1. The measure will also in­clude their family members.

In his letter, Dr Nagpaul added: “In discussion with NHS England we are aware of a proposal to identify international doc­tors, outside of the UK, who hold GMC (General Medical Council) registration but are yet to commence work in the NHS to help in the crisis.

“It is unfair to expect doctors currently outside of the UK who are willing to come to help in the crisis and other international doctors and healthcare workers already in the UK, who are prepared to risk their lives while providing care in the NHS, to pay for that care should they themselves need it.

“In recognition of this, and the fact that those here contribute towards national in­surance through taxation, all international doctors working in the UK must, at the very least, be exempt from paying the health surcharge for the duration of the pandemic.”

He told the home secretary: “There is no doubt the pandemic is placing more pres­sure on the NHS and its workforce through­out the country who are working tirelessly to slow the spread of the virus.

“However, with more cases expected, it is critical that the NHS recruits and retains enough doctors to adequately and safely meet the needs of patients. It is important that medical professionals who wish to assist in the current crisis are sup­ported in doing so.”

A Home Office spokesper­son said: “The automatic visa extension for frontline NHS workers we have announced includes the Immigration health surcharge, so no additional payment will be required. These peo­ple can continue to access healthcare free of charge.”