GPs told to drop visitors' fees

Published on Wednesday 18 July 2007 01:26

A GP practice that refused to treat foreign visitors for free in protest over the treatment of its own patients abroad has been forced to back down, it emerged yesterday.

The Banchory Group Practice in Aberdeenshire spent 18 months charging EU visitors for treatment, advising them to reclaim the fees from their country when they got home.

Under reciprocal arrangements, EU travellers can receive the same level of treatment in the countries they visit as the residents of those countries. The nation in question then claims back the cost from the patient's country.

However, the Banchory GPs said that some of their patients were being charged up-front when overseas, even if they had a European Health Insurance Card.

After 18 months of charging overseas patients, the practice has now had to back down, after orders from the Department of Health in London.

Dr Derek Barclay said the GPs were still not happy and had voiced their concern to the SNP MEP Ian Hudghton, who was raising it with EU officials.

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "We expect doctors and other health professionals in Scotland to provide treatment to visitors from other EEA countries carrying European Health Insurance Cards on the same basis as they would to residents."