Needing to take ID to health apt - AIBU to think this is a sad state of affairs?

[marathonwomanintraining]

DH thinks it's reasonable. I've received a letter for an initial assessment with a MH consultant to assess for NHS psychotherapy input. Great, I've been waiting since last May, so I'm very pleased.
The letter states that I must bring my passport and a utility bill with me to show that I'm eligible for services. Now, I have both a passport and bills in my name. I'm capable and coping, so this is no issue for me.
But, many people don't have these. My mum, for example, has never had either a passport or driving licence. I know that there will be ways around it for these people. But I really believe that for some, they would see that and decide that it means they just can't attend. Considering it's assessment for secondary mental health care, the client's are potentially really vulnerable.
I'm a community physio. We do not have need to see ID before we accept client's. I have no idea if I've seen people not eligible for services over the years, but that is the problem of the GP or CCG to worry about. For us, as long as they have a GP, and an NHS number, we'll see them.
My GP referred me to this service. I have an NHS number.

What are people's thoughts? Heath tourism not a big problem, certainly not as big as people perceive it to be, same with voter fraud.

Lunde Doesn't everyone in Sweden have to have an ID card though, the same as in most European countries? In the UK we don't have ID cards.

You don't have to have an ID card - it is optional. If you don't have one you just have to carry several documents as they need to see both a photo id + your Swedish civil registration number. There are 2 types of Civil Reg numbers 1) the full number that gives you ordinary rights to healthcare, free education (including uni) and 2) a temporary coordination number that does not give rights to public services

I have an NHS card, and a British passport. I'm not entitled to free NHS care - non resident.

It is quite hard, as someone who sounds British (DH, and hence kids aren't white) to persuade people we need to pay. Specsavers were adamant it was free, and I had to refuse to sign the NHS paperwork before they would let us pay for DSs eye exam and frames.

You need to show both where we live, but MIL doesn’t drive and has never had a passport. She’s always at the hospital, dementia and diabetes, so I wonder how that works? Will ask FIL.

I have a UK passport and a property here so can produce bills.

The German government is responsible for my healthcare though, so I should be handing over my insurance card when accessing services here.

Point being - Its a pointless exercise when what they're asking for doesn't actually signal anything about your entitlement anyway.

As you get ypur nhs number at birth doesn't it follow you around? Thought that wpuld all be captured on the NHS computer nowadays and you wpuld have been verified at the referral stage.

MH provision is so shockng in Surrey I think we have to provide a same of unicorn blood here so I wouldn't worry too much about showing a passport. For CAMHS its unicorn blood AND scales from the tail of a mermaid!

It must be just some parts of the UK. I have had quite a few GP and hospital appointments in the last few years and have never needed ID of any kind. For the hospital I take the appointment letter if I have one - nothing required for A and E.

I live in Scotland.

Our local A&E had a big poster up a couple of years ago. "The NHS is not free for everyone".

I complained becausd the NHS is not free for anyone. It is funded by the people for the people.

I can see huge problems with this - especially as very many people's utility bills are now online only. Both banks and utility companies tend to charge if you want a paper statement for proving ID or residence purposes so yep, this is going to hit the poor.

The UK needs to get its finger out and introduce a sensible, cheap and accessible ID system - and then use it.

The UK needs to get its finger out and introduce a sensible, cheap and accessible ID system - and then use it.

totally agree with that!

Being registered with a GP does not entitle you to free hospital/secondary care. Anyone living within a GP boundary can register and is entitled to Primary care. Secondary care apart from Emergency treatment is for ‘lawfully resident’ patients who may be asked for proof of residence. We have patients register and then leave when the hospital tells the, how much the maternity/whatever service is going to cost them.
We also see patients get diagnosed abroad and then ‘move in’ with relatives and ask for a referral for NHS treatment. It does happen but we have to register them for Primary care.

It won't be the health tourists that this will stop (why would anyone do that for MH though, I have no idea given the waiting times and the lack or support and services but hey ho).

It will be the poor and vulnerable. People that can't afford a form of ID , or due to their conditions can't navigate the system to get one. It will be women in refuges. It will be people that still live at home because they can't live on their own etc. People that live in controlling relationships that have no bills in their name and every penny is counted so no resources for an ID.

I needed proof or address for my DBS, and everything is online. The water company sorted it for me thankfully,but my lovely council wanted £40 to resend a bloody statement(they send one once a year and it was out of date). That was annoying enough, but now imagine having no money, struggling to just get out of bed in the morning because your mental health is so bad and the only way to get help would be ID and bills.

The hospital letter I received for ds2 asked for id for him. He's only 14. He's already in the system so to speak, so we didn't need to take anything as it happened. He has an NHS number.

I just re-read the letter. I MUST take a passport, and a council tax AND utility bill along. It doesn't suggest there are alternatives (though I'm sure there are) and if I don't take them it will delay my treatment. Any questions? Ask when you arrive.

Just the tone of it will put people off. It make no effort to reassure those who may not have those documents available. To me, that's very wrong.

I accept that Milliways but surely a sentence in a referral "Ms Jones has been registered here for twelve years and has been seen regularly here, has received "fit notes", etc." wouldn't be terribly hard to produce. It would be so much easier than the usual one size fits all the ingrates who have never paid a dime attitude the public are so regularly met with nowadays.

The NHS does those entitled to receive secondary care no favours. It provides a service to people who fund it and receive it free only at the point of delivery. There is no need to treat everyone badly just because a tiny minority take advantage.

I understand why they do it but it is sad that they have to. I don't have a passport so took my council tax bill and marriage and birth certificates. They were sufficient.

If you have a bank account, some will print out a letter with your address on it for free. I have paperless banking so couldn't provide an addressed statement within so many months for something else.

Bank accounts aren't normally accepted for most (official) things as proof of address though. It's bills/council tax.

As a side note, I can't remember the last council tax letter we received, I think it was when they were complaining we were behind (system error actually) and that was around summer time!

What does someone who isn't married, can't afford to travel or drive do?

I do think there's a citizen's card thingy but I don't know much about it- however, it's around £20 so not precisely cheap.

A provisional license is about £35 I believe so even more expensive.

Is it a private company contracted through the NHS? Maybe they need to see proof of entitlement to claim the money back because if a patient is not entitled to NHS treatment they would need to meet the cost themselves. Lots of private companys have taken over NHS departments etc

Good points @Yoursarcasimisdripping

I worked in the NHS since the 1970s.
Reorganisations, massive incompetence, waste, privatisation and PFI finance are far more expensive and problematical than health tourism. Not that I support health tourism, but it is a drop in the ocean.