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"Refusals" in this class, on medical grounds, are virtually nil, and indeed the total refusal
amongst all classes for all reasons was only 57 for the year. From the foregoing it will be
appreciated why, although 15,689 of the 26,752 aliens landing in London in 1959 were medically
inspected, only 311 were subjected to a detailed examination. In only 10 cases did the Medical
Inspectors have to issue certificates under the Aliens Order, the reasons being:—
Class A Mental Illness 3
Class B. 2(a) Medical conditions which may interfere
with ability to support themselves.
Class B. 2(b) Medical conditions which may require
treatment in this Country. 7
It is usually difficult to separate B 2(a) and (b). Three of the aliens classified under B 2
were coming for medical reasons. All satisfied the Immigration Officer that they had means to
pay for consultations and treatment and were granted conditional landing for periods from two to
three months.
In a medical emergency the patient's well-being is always the first consideration and although
he may, technically, be refused permission to land, admission to hospital is not delayed.
On recovery, if the other Immigration considerations remain unaltered, the refusal will come into
operation. The shipping company which brought him to this Country is responsible for repatriation.
There were no important changes in the regular passenger services during the year. The
Batavier service from Rotterdam, which ceased in 1958 after more than 100 years, was not
resumed. The Greek ship "Arkadia" from Montreal, and the Russian ships "Mikhail Kalinin"
and "Mikhail Uritzkij" from Leningrad, which started in the Autumn of 1958, again ran services
to Tilbury Landing Stage.
The position as to the use of the National Health Service both by aliens and by British
Commonwealth citizens is well summed up in "Question and Answer" form in the "British
Medical Journal" Supplement of 28th June 1958, as follows :
Q. —In what circumstances may (1) foreigners and (2) citizens of the British Commonwealth
overseas use the National Health Service? How is the use of the Service denied to those who
are not entitled to it?
A. —No one normally resident outside the United Kingdom, whether in a foreign country, a
Commonwealth country, or the Irish Republic, has any right to come here solely or mainly for the
purpose of getting treatment through the Health Service for a condition from which he already
suffers. This is regarded by the Government as an abuse of the Service, and steps are taken to
secure, so far as possible, that such people obtain treatment privately.
Aliens are not allowed to enter the country for the express purpose of obtaining free treatment.
If permission is given to enter the country for private treatment or if an alien who is known
or thought to be intending to undergo treatment is admitted for some other temporary purpose,
the appropriate hospital authorities for the area to which the alien is going are asked to watch
for any attempt to obtain free treatment and to do what they can to secure that all treatment is
obtained privately. These arrangements cannot apply to Commonwealth citizens or citizens of
the Irish Republic, since there is no power to restrict their entry. Hospitals generally are aware
of the Government's views, and, where it seems from inquiries made before treatment is given
that a patient has recently arrived in this country and is seeking treatment of a non-urgent nature
for a condition which existed before he came here, administrative action may be taken to prevent
free treatment being obtained.
People who are already in the United Kingdom when they become ill and need treatment may
choose to be treated privately or they may seek treatment within the Service. In the latter case
the same conditions apply to them as to everyone else. The general medical practitioner is at
liberty to treat them privately or through the Service, and if necessary he may refer them to
hospital either as private patients or as patients under the National Health Service. Similarly a
dental practitioner has freedom to accept them as private patients or as patients within the
Service — if he does the latter they will, of course, be subject to the current charges.
SECTION XVI-MISCELLANEOUS
Arrangements for the burial on shore of persons who have died on board ship from infectious
disease. No change.
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