Department of Health updated 22 August 2017
- Revised preparatory guidance for NHS bodies who need to make and recover hospital charges from overseas visitors. Includes final version of Guidance on implementing the overseas visitor charging regulations
- This guidance provides help and advice on the implementation of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015, which has been amended most recently by the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.
- Amendments as of 21 August 2017, and 23 October 2017 are outlined as below.
- Main amendments made to Guidance from 21 August 2017 include:
- Amendment to the following exemption from charge categories: immigration health surcharge and transitional arrangements in respect of the surcharge so that the exemption from charge does not apply in respect of assisted conception services
- A requirement on NHS trusts and foundation trusts to record when a person is an overseas visitor on that persons ‘consistent identifier’ (i.e. against their NHS number)
- Removal of the exemption for relevant services provided outside a hospital or by its staff
- Main amendments made to Guidance from 23 October 2017:
- A requirement on all providers of NHS-funded secondary care to, where no exemption applies, recover an estimate of the charges in advance unless doing so would prevent or delay the provision of immediately necessary or urgent services
- A requirement on all providers of NHS-funded secondary care, including non-NHS organisations to make and recover charges from overseas visitors where relevant services have been provided to them and no exemption applies
- Introducing an exemption from charges for palliative care services that are provided by a registered charity or community interest company
- Read the Mills & Reeve blog post 16 August 2017 on the topic here.
