Recently, according to UK government officials, immigrants planning to settle in the United Kingdom or visitors traveling to the UK may be required to pay for their use of the National Health Service. This charge will cover prescription fees, emergency medical service fees, and will increase the service fees for eye care and dental services. However, routine medical services will remain free and provided equitably. Additionally, some surgeries and physiotherapy conducted by general practitioners may also fall under the chargeable category.
UK health officials explained that this is primarily to prevent the misuse of the UK's health insurance system, which leads to resource waste, while also ensuring that those who genuinely need access to this system can avail of it. Furthermore, there may be further assessments to confirm the target group for these charges.
However, the final outcome will need to wait for the formal proposal to be released in March 2014 for a definitive conclusion.
