NHS loses over £15.6 million every year as overseas mothers leave maternity bills unpaid
NHS loses over £15m every year as overseas mothers leave maternity bills unpaid
TL;DR
- NHS trusts billed £48.8 million for maternity care from overseas visitors in the last three years.
- Only £7.4 million of the £47.1 million billed has been paid, with over £30 million still owed.
- More than £8 million has been written off by trusts as unrecoverable.
- The real bill is likely higher as only 85 out of 119 trusts with maternity services provided figures.
- Barts Health billed the most at £8 million but recovered only £326,739.
- Maternity care cannot be withheld due to non-payment, even though overseas visitors not entitled to free treatment must pay.
- The value of maternity charges against overseas visitors rose by over a fifth between 2023/24 and the year to March 2026.