NHS – English required to prove Nationality with Passport and Utility Bill

PA photo

By

Hazel Speed

There is a certain irony in this because for years, many English people have been annoyed that NHS Forms (and other Government ones), for the sake of political correctness, have not allowed Indigenous English people to say they are English but British, whereas all other UK and world nations from A to Z could declare their nationality. It was only the English who dare not speak their name.

As this new initiative is to catch non-English from free NHS Services re Medical Tourism, once again, because of Political correctness now the English are named because they will have to prove they are English.

There are many ipso facto clues and voice accents to start with, so why not just eliminate obviously English looking and English speaking people who have English accents?

Like Mrs Thatcher’s ‘stop and search’ of 3,000 people to find about 1,000 with police interest which meant 2,000 went through public indignity needlessly, this is its modern medical equivalent and will create more problems than it solves – not to mention anger within certain scenarios I can envisage.

If the NHS want to check their existing computer records first then they can eliminate hundreds of thousands of people or cross match data bases as to who they let into England in the first place!!

When they retort Data Protection would not allow, the usual way the Government circumvents all Laws and gets round this is to bring in cover-all contingent legislation, then they can break any laws after that.

I learned only yesterday of a pensioner whose benefits given by one Agency were used against them by another based on the same evidence of income and outgoings. They were a pensioner, fuel poverty with some serious illnesses but now will have to pay for dental work and glasses when their local Council had given them a Housing Benefit/discretionary hardship fund.

I know what I call that situation which gives with one hand yet takes with another, but is covered by Legislation so cannot be challenged. A type of historic Sheriff of Nottingham Decree yet no Robin Hood can be found – yet!

Also the NHS expects people to carry a Passport and Utility Bill just in case they collapse. What about people who live alone – no next of kin – then collapse in the street with no passport or utility bill on them? Is it going to be like we see in American films – sorry that person has no documentation, just leave them?

To expect important Passport and Utility Bills to be carried daily is ridiculous, given that they could soon be lost, stolen or damaged then utilised by a Medical Tourist. What about those who do not need a Passport or cannot afford one?

Again, this is reminiscent of older banking days where cheque books and bank cards were common and banks advised not to carry either together or separately in case of theft or loss, yet upon entering the bank the first thing one was asked upon making a general banking enquiry was “Did you bring your cheque book and card with you as it would help if you have them on you?”

If nothing else this far from thought out NHS statement proves there is an immigration problem. Surely Visa Applications and Customs should demand medical reports from visitors who could be suspected as being medical tourists.

This is (albeit only just) still England whether it says so on NHS Forms or not.

This new NHS Policy suggestion and initial trial is insulting to everyone involved but especially so to the English.

No doubt rich foreigners who pay to use private hospitals are more than welcome.

And we proudly sing “There’ll Always Be An England” – really?

Hazel Speed

Photo (c) Hazel Speed – used by kind permision to Tuck Magazine

Hazel Speed is a Philosopher, Writer, and Artist with various creative projects at differing stages of development. Her flaship project is an animation which has produced a film short: www.thepinkprofessor.com. She has also written an E-novel, ‘Just Suppose…!‘ which is available via the attached link.

Art sites: www.candystoreart.com, www.terrificart.com, www.artbadges.co.uk.