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<p>Some groups of failed asylum seekers are exempt from charge for National Health
Service secondary care under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015,
as amended.</p><p>In situations where charges do apply to overseas visitors for NHS
secondary care, including where the person is a failed asylum seeker, providers of
that care must make and recover charges from the person liable where this is possible.</p><p>Where
a clinician considers the need of the overseas visitor to be non-urgent in that treatment
can safely wait until the person returns to their home country, payment must be received
in advance of the provision of the treatment.</p><p>Immediately necessary treatment
or urgent treatment, which clinicians assess as being unable to wait the person’s
return to their home country, will not be withheld pending payment. It is a matter
for the provider of NHS secondary care services what measures it takes to recover
costs from overseas visitors that have received services to which they are not entitled
free of charge, which might include agreeing a repayment plan with the patient or
writing the debt off as unrecoverable.</p>
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