The Department of Health has today announced that new regulations requiring all hospitals to check upfront whether patients are eligible for free NHS treatment will be in place within months under plans to recover the cost of health treatments provided to patients not ordinarily resident in the UK.

The law will change from April this year and will play a key role in meeting the government's ambition to recover up to £500 million a year from overseas visitors who are not eligible for free care. 

Under the new measures, hospitals and NHS bodies will also be required to identify and flag a patient's chargeable status so that other parts of the NHS can more easily recoup costs from overseas visitors wherever charges apply. 

NHS Improvement will be working with trusts that have the most potential to recover costs. 

Where someone is unable to provide information up front or does not have physical ID documents, the trust will work with the patient to determine their eligibility. No one will be denied urgent or immediately necessary healthcare.

We look forward to working with the government to ensure that any changes in the law have the desired effect without adding to burdens on trusts, or threatening in any way the quality of patient care

Responding to the announcement, NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said:

"At a time when the NHS is under unprecedented financial pressure it is important that, as far as is practicable, these costs are recovered.

"As the public accounts committee acknowledged last week, it can be difficult to identify patients who can be charged.

"However there are examples where trusts have made good progress. We look forward to working with the government to ensure that any changes in the law have the desired effect without adding to burdens on trusts, or threatening in any way the quality of patient care."