Eligibility of non-residents for NHS treatment: Failed asylum seekers should not be denied access to free NHS care

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7467.683

BMJ 2004;329:683 (18 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7467.683

Letter

Eligibility of non-residents for NHS treatment

Failed asylum seekers should not be denied access to free NHS care

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—I agree with Pollard and Savulescu that failedasylum seekers should not be denied access to free NHS healthcare.¹

Firstly, as Williams argues in the previous issue,² evidenceshows that failed asylum seekers are desperate and needy froma healthcare point of view. The professional and moral dutyof doctors is to assist anyone in such need, regardless of hisor her ability to pay.

Secondly, in putting forward the proposals we will not "continueto meet our international obligations."³ Article 12 of the UNInternational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(ratified by the United Kingdom in 1976) guarantees the rightof everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical andmental health.

Thirdly, by denying failed asylum seekers access to free healthcare we will not push them away. There is evidence that mostof them remain in the United Kingdom for reasons other . . . [Full text of this article]

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Roman Romero-Ortuno, senior house officer in accident and emergency medicine

West Middlesex University Hospital, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 6AF r.romero-ortuno@nhs.net