Health 'tourist' pays NHS £30,000

Mr Girgis received care at the Hammersmith Hospital

An Egyptian businessman who travelled to London specifically to get free NHS treatment has agreed to repay the £30,000 bill.

It is the first case of health tourism to be prosecuted by the NHS Counter Fraud Service.

Evidence showed the care Mr Albert Girgis, 71, received was given to him on the basis that he was a UK resident.

But, as an Egyptian national and non-UK resident, he should have been expected to pay for his treatment and medicines.

Tough line

Since 1992, Mr Girgis had been treated at NHS hospitals around London and receive heart surgery and a large number of prescription drugs on the NHS.

The NHS Counter Fraud Service also announced its latest financial figures.

It said that between 1999 and 2005, £670m had been made available for patient care thanks to work to its counter-fraud work - equating to the cost of 10 new hospitals.

Health tourism is completely unacceptable Health Minister Lord Warner

Health Minister Lord Warner said: "I am very pleased that the tough line that the NHS has taken on health tourism has resulted in a repayment of the substantial sum of £30,000 - the full value of the NHS care obtained by Mr Girgis.

"Health tourism is completely unacceptable and the effectiveness of the NHS Counter Fraud Service's investigation - stretching across two continents - shows just how determined we are to properly protect the NHS from this sort of behaviour."

Jim Gee, chief executive of the NHS Counter Fraud Service, said: "The latest figures also show a reduction of 55% in losses to patient fraud from an estimated £171m in 1998-99 to £77m in 2003-04.

"We know that the better we can protect the NHS and its resources the better the NHS can protect the public's health."