Letter: '˜Immigration Card' would relieve pressure on the NHS

I believe that any significant rise in the population increases the strain on infrastructure and services.

Mr Jones refers to the deficiencies in the NHS. I believe that he should compare it to the rise in population due to immigration.

It has been assessed that there are over one million illegal immigrants in the country.

We can add to this the 3.5 million EU citizens and any others from outside the EU here legally, and you can see the pressures that this must bring with it.

Pressures not only on the NHS, but also on housing, schools, transport, etc.

From this it appears to feed on itself that increased immigration increases pressures. It appears that nobody is turned away from receiving NHS treatment.

A couple of years back I was in the reception ward at Kettering General Hospital as a result of a bad reaction to prescribed medication.

A woman, who had conveniently collapsed outside the hospital was placed in the next bed with the curtains around her. This did not prevent me from hearing what was said.

A deputation of doctors and nurses came to her.

She had apparently given a fictitious GP and an address for him.

Whenever she was asked a question, she replied with a question, such, never actually answering the questions as to her status in the National Health Service.

She had a foreign accent and appeared to be laughing at them.

They just gave up and left her in the bed, presumably to receive treatment.

Surely what should happen is those of us who have a National Insurance Number should give it or produce the EU health card so that the country of origin pays for their treatment.

Failing this a credit card to be charged for the treatment, and failing this a visit from an Immigration Officer to determine their rights to treatment, and legal status for being in the country.

This would cut down those coming specifically to receive treatment at our expense.

Perhaps we should not have the need to fill some of those staff shortages that Mr Jones refers to.

Alex H Lee

Raunds