Former immigration minister Kevin Foster has launched a scathing attack on NHS programs that give priority treatment to undocumented migrants.
Speaking on GB News, Foster condemned the practice as “absolutely shocking”, saying it “strikes at the heart of what we expect from the NHS”.
“We all accept that if we present to A&E we will be given priority based on our medical needs,” Foster said.
He stressed that while it was acceptable for an elderly person having difficulty breathing to be seen before a person in their 40s who had fallen, immigration status should not determine priority.
Kevin Foster spoke on GB News
PA/GB NEWS
“We don’t naturally feel sicker because we don’t have Interior Ministry status, it’s absolutely bizarre,” he added.
The program, known as University College London Hospitals (UCLH) ‘987 Inclusion Health’, allows undocumented migrants to bypass standard emergency waiting times.
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Small boat crossing intercepted by border forcesPennsylvaniaUnder the initiative, eligible patients can receive A&E-level treatment without the usual long delays.
The program also extends to homeless people and those struggling with drug or alcohol abuse.
Similar schemes have sprung up across the country, with Stoke-on-Trent Hospital establishing a dedicated NHS team to help failed asylum seekers.
In south London, community centers offer drop-in services to rejected asylum seekers and undocumented migrants.
Kevin Foster spoke on GB News
GB NEWS
NHS figures show that while regular patients had to wait four hours in November, those on the scheme could receive treatment within 15 minutes.
Former Health Secretary Steve Barclay described the situation as “scandalous”, saying people living in the UK illegally were being given priority over British taxpayers.
“There should be no preferential treatment for those who are here illegally at our expense, and I think the public will be outraged to find out that is the case,” Barclay told the Telegraph.
Deputy leader of the British Reform Party, Richard Tice, said the plan “sums up broken Britain”.
“While hard-working Brits wait weeks for a GP appointment and endless hours in emergency rooms, illegal immigrants find themselves at the front of the queue,” Tice added.
He blamed both main parties, saying “the Conservatives started this and now Labor continues to make fun of those who pay into the system”.
Foster also criticized Nottingham Council’s allocation of funds to help migrants access health services.
“I think what was particularly shocking for any Nottingham pensioner who lost their winter fuel allowance was to read that Nottingham City Council has set aside almost £700,000 to help the people to see doctors and register with dentists, because they may not understand how the system works,” he says.
The NHS maintains that it is legally required to provide health services to asylum seekers and migrants free of charge at the point of use.
Local integrated care boards have a legal duty to tackle inequalities in access to NHS services, according to an NHS spokesperson.