To: Government
NHS Free and Open
To stop the plan for people seeking medical treatment having to have identity papers to prove citizenship
Why is this important?
The NHS was created on the basis of free at the point of access. Doctors, nurses and other health-care workers are not immigration officials deciding who the should or should not treat. This is against the principles of the NHS and the idea that sick people would be denied treatment just because they failed to have the correct paperwork when seeking help is shocking.
This is just another attack on peoples rights by the current government and another burden they will place on our NHS. Can you imagine being turned away from a doctors surgery or a hospital just because they can not tick a box on a form confirming your identity.
This will affect a wide range of people including both British citizens and migrants as well as asylum seekers. Are receptionist in wards and surgeries going to be asked to refuse people access to medical services? Are we going to have Immigration Officers in every medical facility to check peoples' documents? What will the government do if someone is refused access and later dies as a result?
The government has to stop this and come up with a better idea. Placing the burden of deciding who to treat or not is not something our NHS should be doing. They have enough with treating people who are seriously sick and ill.
This is just another attack on peoples rights by the current government and another burden they will place on our NHS. Can you imagine being turned away from a doctors surgery or a hospital just because they can not tick a box on a form confirming your identity.
This will affect a wide range of people including both British citizens and migrants as well as asylum seekers. Are receptionist in wards and surgeries going to be asked to refuse people access to medical services? Are we going to have Immigration Officers in every medical facility to check peoples' documents? What will the government do if someone is refused access and later dies as a result?
The government has to stop this and come up with a better idea. Placing the burden of deciding who to treat or not is not something our NHS should be doing. They have enough with treating people who are seriously sick and ill.
