gair rhydd Monday October 20th 2014 | freeword | Issue 1034
In this week’s issue: We say what the NUS gets wrong, share the outlook on devolution in Wales and Scotland, and reveal the results of the Students’ Union by-election
The Nationalist Health Service
Gair Rhydd reveals shock NHS fees for international students to be introduced as early as next year Michael O’ConnellDavidson
T
he NHS is set to charge international students fees as early as next year, a Gair Rhydd investigation can reveal. These changes come as part of wider coalition plans to charge for access to NHS services. Changes to international student visas also include a requirement for landlords to check the immigration status of potential tenants, increasing the administrative burden of renting a property. The “health surcharge” will cost
Should UKIP be allowed on TV? P9 >>
international students £150 a year, to be paid for as part of a revamped student visa. Upon arriving in the country, students will then be able to access services to the same level as a permanent resident. Those currently studying will be unaffected, but new students will be expected to pay on application for a visa, regardless of how much of an impact they are likely to make on the service during their time here. A Home Office spokesperson confirmed to Gair Rhydd that these
plans were set to go ahead, with nonEU residents in other categories set to be charged up to 150 per cent the cost of treatment. A number of organisations have raised concerns about the wider plans to charge visitors for access to NHS services. The TUC warned that some pregnant women “may go through the pregnancy without any access to antenatal care,” thereby increasing the risk of dangerous complications. The legislation has been drafted in order to prevent “health tourism,”
The Truth About Ebola P18 >>
where visitors come to the UK for free healthcare. An audit into NHS services revealed that the NHS was unable to estimate how many health tourists there actually are, and, as such, cannot estimate how much of a problem health tourism actually is; Jeremy Hunt, the current Health Secretary, estimated it cost the UK economy around £12m each year. Even if the focus is solely on health tourists, that does not explain why the legislation is targeting international students, who are unlikely to burden
Pictured: Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (Photographer: Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Continued on page 4
All opportunities are in London P11 >>