According to British daily Quartz, The British National Health Service (NHS), which is celebrating its 70th year, is facing serious problems. Ambulances have been shown in videos, queuing outside hospitals, tens of thousands of non-emergency operations in England were deferred and targets to reduce waiting times at emergency departments will be missed—again.
Despite the ongoing struggle, the NHS remains a treasured public institution in the UK. A poll last year showed that the majority of UK respondents want to pay more tax to better fund the NHS. Even the most conservative voters agree that more funding is required to keep the NHS running. Polls have previously shown that the NHS is even more popular among citizens than the British royal family and the military. In fact, though the NHS has weathered several crises over the past two decades, polling shows that Brits have remained committed to the NHS’ founding principle that it is a publicly funded national health service that is free at the point of use.
The government has thus come up with another way to provide for this funding which is doubling a so-called “health surcharge” paid by long-term visitors and students from countries outside the European Union including India to 400 pounds per year. The surcharge, introduced in April 2015, will rise from 200 pounds to 400 pounds per year, with the earlier discounted rate for students increasing from 150 pounds to 300 pounds and is bound to make the fees more expensive. The surcharge is paid by all visitors from outside the European Union seeking to live in the UK for six months or more.
“It is only right that people who come to the UK should contribute to the running of the NHS. The surcharge offers access to health care services that are far more comprehensive and at a much lower cost than many other countries, claimed UK Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes, “The income generated goes directly to the NHS services, helping to protect and sustain our world-class healthcare system for everyone who uses it.”