Overseas patients have accumulated almost £30 million in unpaid NHS bills in one year, figures show.
Foreign visitors not eligible for free treatment on the health service failed to pay £29,530,378 in 2015-16, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
An investigation also found that several NHS trusts are owed a backlog of millions of pounds. In London, Barts Health is owed £10,340,322 from the past four years and Imperial College Healthcare is owed £5,509,733.
Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and London North West Healthcare NHS Trust are owed about £5 million each for the past four years.
A recent report from the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed that the health service would fall £200 million short of the £500