Health minister, John Hutton, says ID cards will help NHS staff check whether patients are eligible to receive treatment and deter people who abuse the UK’s healthcare resources.
Hutton gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee this week as controversy flared around the government’s plans to speed up the introduction of ID cards. The prevention of illegal immigration and terrorism are seen as the primary imperatives for accelerating the measures needed to set up a scheme, though combating abuse of NHS resources has appeared consistently on the list of potential benefits.
Speaking after his appearance before the committee, Hutton said: "Confirming entitlement will be much more straightforward for the NHS. Biometric identifiers would prevent identity fraud. Information on current immigration and residence status would be comprehensive and up to date. Our aim will be to maximise benefits and minimise costs so we will look carefully to see what level of checks would be appropriate in each circumstance.
"Although there are certain groups who will be eligible for free treatment but who will not have registered for ID cards, such as short-term visitors from EU countries, they will be able to prove their eligibility on production of their passport or, in the near future, their EU health card. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, the infirm and the mentally ill could be exempted from the requirement to register if this was thought to be desirable.
"As we have made clear in the past, there will be no question of stopping people who need emergency treatment receiving that treatment in a timely way. No one will be denied emergency treatment because they have failed to produce an ID card or to prove their eligibility in any other way. People with certain communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, will also be treated regardless of their eligibility, on public health grounds.”
The arguments around the use of cards for health entitlement function were aired last November when the Home Office published
plans for a national ID card scheme.
Human rights campaigners, Liberty, commented this week that the notion that an ID card would deter a potential suicide bomber was “quite ridiculous". A statement pointed out that Spain had a compulsory ID scheme and the men believed responsible for the Madrid bomb attacks all had authentic cards.
Liberty commented: “The most recent opinion poll shows a large majority in favour of a card but also indicated nearly 60% changing their minds if they would have to pay for the card – which they would. It also indicates over 50% having little faith in the government’s ability to manage such a large database.
