Migrants jump queue at A&E as UK taxpayers forced to wait

Undocumented migrants are being allowed to jump the queue at A&E as part of a controversial NHS scheme affording them preferential treatment over British taxpayers.

The revelation has been condemned by among others Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice and former Health Secretary Steve Barclay.

The pair were commenting on a University College London Hospitals (UCLH) scheme entitled the 987 inclusion initiative, details of which can be found on its website.

It offers “a route for patients to attend University College Hospital (UCH) and have an A&E level of access to tests/treatments, but without the prolonged waits and other problems associated with attending A&E spontaneously”.

As a result they can get treatment within 15 minutes – even though NHS figures show that on average in November, 25% of people waited more than four hours to be seen.

Among those defined as being eligible are undocumented migrants, along with class A drug users and people who “struggle with persistent alcohol misuse”.

The initiative is one of several across the country. Another in south London offering “walk-in services” at community day centres for both refused asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, while in Stoke-on-Trent, an NHS team is on available to “help failed asylum seekers, many of whom are homeless and destitute with no recourse to public funds”.

Mr Tice, the MP for Boston and Skegness, told The Telegraph: “This sums up broken Britain. Whilst hard-working British people are waiting weeks for GP appointments and hours on end in A&E, illegals get to cut to the front of the queue.

“The Tories started this and now Labour continue to make a mockery of those that pay into the system for these services.

“Reform UK are clear, those that try to come over in boats will be turned back and those that have already come via boats will be deported and not get special treatment.”

Mr Barclay said: “It is outrageous that those here illegally are prioritised over British taxpayers, and it reinforces, once again, the concern that the NHS has become an international service, not a national health service.

“There should not be preferential treatment for those here illegally at our expense, and I think the public will be outraged to discover that’s the case. NHS England should give clear answers as to why.”

Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “The NHS was founded on the principle that anyone who needs treatment can receive it free at the point of need.

“When one person loses access to healthcare, that clearly becomes a problem for us all.

“That’s why the NHS treats everyone, and we welcome the fact that Britain’s nurses and doctors – many of whom come from migrant and refugee backgrounds themselves – provide healthcare for those seeking asylum so they can access essential medical support when they need it.”

The NHS is currently facing significant challenges in managing Accident & Emergency (A&E) waiting times.

In the fourth quarter of 2023/24, there were approximately 6.7 million A&E attendances in England, with only 58% of patients in major (type 1) departments being admitted, transferred, or discharged within the four-hour target, indicating a decline in performance.

Additionally, the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for emergency admission decreased from around 49,600 in October to approximately 45,800 in November 2024.

This situation has been exacerbated by a surge in winter illnesses, including flu, COVID-19, norovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), leading to increased demand for emergency services and further straining NHS resources.

An NHS spokesman said: “The NHS is legally required to provide healthcare services to asylum seekers and migrants which are free at the point of use, with local integrated care boards (ICBs) responsible for commissioning these services based on need while ensuring all local residents can still access care.

“ICBs also have a legal duty to address inequalities in access to NHS services, which can include rolling out dedicated services to communities experiencing the worst health inequities, while also supporting all those who need care.”

Express.co.uk has also approached the DHSC for comment.