Zimbabwe-born Caroline Nyadzayo’s unpaid bill is part of the £62million cost of ‘health tourism’ to Britain.
The 34-year-old, an advertising executive in Africa, was pictured with health minister Daniel Poulter on his visit to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital when the maternity suite was reopened.
The mother said she complained to Mr Poulter about the charge and said she was under huge pressure to pay it. But Mr Poulter has reportedly said he does not remember being told that.
Miss Nyadzayo, now in Harare, told The Sunday Times it was ‘unfair’ she was still being pursued, because the baby’s father is British.
She said: ‘I know the system may believe I travelled [to Britain] to abuse the NHS benefits, but as a matter of fact I just wanted to have my first baby as a family and surely everyone is entitled to that.’
The couple were questioned about the birth when they entered Britain at Norwich Airport in October 2013. However, they were released when they agreed they would be paying for it.
Miss Nyadzayo said: ‘I was told because I was 31 weeks pregnant it was likely I was going to use the NHS to my advantage. We said we would pay for the birth. But we had no idea how much we’d be charged.’
Her case was profiled as figures suggested hospitals’ failure to claw back the cost of treating Europeans is costing taxpayers millions of pounds a week.
The so-called ‘health tourism gap’ between the amount the NHS collects from EU patients and the total hospitals on the continent receive from Britain has soared to almost £700million.
It means the UK is now paying out £15 for the healthcare costs of Britons who fall ill abroad for every £1 it gets back for the NHS treatment of European visitors.
The Prime Minister and Health Secretary have pledged to introduce tough new measures to recoup an extra £500million from foreigners annually by 2017/18.
COMMENTS
Miss Nyadzayo, now in Harare, told The Sunday Times it was ‘unfair’ she was still being pursued, because the baby’s father is British. She said: ‘I know the system may believe I travelled [to Britain] to abuse the NHS benefits, but as a matter of fact I just wanted to have my first baby as a family and surely everyone is entitled to that.’
Kunyepa.
No Ms Nyadzayo you did not go to the UK to have your baby as a family – you went there to “milk” the system, as so many of you have done. No wonder the NHS is in the mess it is.
The joke is on her. She thought she would give birth in UK and the baby will have British Nationality.
The NHS is a cow to be milked because of political correctness gone awry. I believe it had more to do with the fact the baby is now a British National and thus can choose to get a EU passport.
The truth of the matter is that Caroline Nyadzayo came to the UK to break someone’s marriage. She is not married to the father of the child who is from Zimbabwe and now a naturalized British citizen. Unfortunately for her, after breaking the marriage she thought she would automatically be granted British citizenship because of the child, but unfortunately the child acquires the mother,s nationality. To make matters worse for her, the so called boyfriend dumped her and moved on with another woman whom he is living with now. Hence he does not want to have anything to do with the payment of the bill i.e. if he has that amount of money to pay anyway. Chihure chakashata amai mwana – bhadharai kukwirwa kwamakaitwa mukaitiswa mwanaka! Ndizvo maitsvagaka. Don’t fake innocence by your evil acts!