MAY I reassure George Jensen that my facts are accurate and my letter was referenced from an article written in the Guardian by Alan Travis, Alberto Nardelli and George Arnett on Wednesday April 8 2015 entitled “Sick Man of Europe? Ill Britons cost EU Nations Dear” (UK tourists cost neighbours five times the bill to NHS).
Department of Health data shows the NHS spent £30 million to treat European visitors, but other EU countries spent £155 million treating Brits! “Try falling ill in Portugal or Spain”, cries George Jensen. Well. Spain spent £40 million treating British visitors according to the Department of Health. (Probably more if you include the cleaning of the blood and vomit off the night-clubbed streets of Ibiza etc!) The UK spent £3 million treating Spanish visitors! If you are concerned about the NHS then you should campaign to stop its privatisation by stealth. It’s not mythical “health tourists” we should worry about, but neo-liberalist corporations who will milk our NHS dry!
Terry Banfield, Cardigan Crescent, Cwmbran
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