NHS patients left anxious at Health Trust letters threatening to remove free healthcare
Anxious NHS patients in south Down are receiving letters from the Southern Health Trust telling them to prove they are entitled to free healthcare - or face paying for it in full.
The Department of Health says the actions are being taken to identify patients who may not be entitled to free treatment and to charge them accordingly.
Kilkeel woman Evelyn Annett says her husband Brian went for an X-ray recently and that the letter was sent out to him soon after.
The couple have been married and lived in Kilkeel for over 40 years.
"I was totally disgusted," she said. "I can understand wanting to make sure people are legitimately in the country for their treatment. But can they not access a computer to see where you were born and live instead of sending out a five or six pages of a questionnaire?
Initially she thought the letter was a scam.
"Also, it demanded to be answered almost immediately - while we were away on three weeks’ holidays.
As well as a driving license or passport copies, it asks for one of the following;- a social security letter, P45 or P60; completed tax return, three months payslips or evidence of housing, or a few other alternatives.
However as her husband is retired, many of those options are not possible, she said.
"I have phoned the helpline number on the letter 18 times without an answer," she added.
Kilkeel DUP councillor Henry Reilly said four or five people had contacted him with concerns about the letters.
"Surely the NHS can easily identify people by their NHS number or their national insurance number?" he asked. "I can understand the need for checks, but when people who are long term UK residents, born and bred, there's not much need to do it with them.
"It is causing a lot of anxiety for people, because it says people's free healthcare is at stake here."
Sources suggest that one concern may be Republic of Ireland residents using addresses in NI to fraudulently claim free health care in Newry.
According to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, the organisation is vulnerable to £1.3 billion of fraud each year.
A spokeswoman for the Stormont Department of Health said publicly funded health care is only available to people who are "ordinarily resident" in Northern Ireland or to "eligible visitors".
"Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland are obliged to safeguard the public purse and have a legal obligation to identify patients who may not be entitled to free treatment and charge them accordingly," she added.
"Healthcare services are primarily for the benefit of people who live in Northern Ireland (NI). Being born in NI or holding a UK passport and living elsewhere, having a National Insurance Number or receiving a UK pension does not mean you are automatically entitled to free healthcare treatment."
A spokeswoman for the Southern Health Trust said: "The letter sent to patients regarding entitlement to free treatment includes contact details for the team responsible and our staff are happy to help with any queries or concerns which people might have.
"There are significant financial pressures on Health and Social Care Services and we must continue to take appropriate actions to ensure that our vital services are available for people eligible to receive them."