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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsHealthcare12yrs ago

Should foreign visitors have to pay for emergency medical treatment during their stay in the UK?

Overseas visitors to the UK are currently charged for hospital visits, dental treatments and prescription drugs. People working for UK-based employers and students on courses of at least six months duration are entitled to at least some NHS hospital treatment free of charge. The government had considered charging for GP consultations, but decided that easy initial access was important to prevent risks to public health such as HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 2.4m UK voters.

67%
Yes
33%
No
58%
Yes
21%
No
6%
Yes, and require visitors to show proof of insurance before entering the UK
11%
No, emergency care should not be denied to those cannot afford it
3%
Yes, but only those outside of the EU

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 2.4m UK voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 2.4m UK voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from UK voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9L9Y44Hanswered…2yrs2Y

Foreign visitors should have ACCESS to free emergency health care, but the NHS should claim the fees back through insurasnce.

 @9NSJZ23answered…2yrs2Y

Everybody entering the country should have medic client insurance in the same way as we Mandate that people take out holiday insurance before they can travel abroad

 @8KCNXNKanswered…6yrs6Y

emergency care should not be denied at the point of use but a payment plan after should sorted out after and travel insurance for medicine should be compulsary for entry into the country.

 @9NMDQYDanswered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but insurance should be required for entry of the country which should include health cover, so health care should be free from the perspective of the user but costs should be covered on the back end by insurance so the tax payers aren't paying for visitors

 @9NRRT9Lanswered…2yrs2Y

People who come here with an already diagnosed condition expecting free healthcare should be made to pay. For instance, expecting mothers coming from the US.

 @8GWLGBTanswered…6yrs6Y

No but require visitors to show proof of insurance before entering the UK

 @8SJTX3Vanswered…5yrs5Y

Have insurance before entering country to pay for medical care

 @8NLQH33answered…6yrs6Y

Only for an emergency

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About This Data

Based on 2.4m responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

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Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should foreign visitors have to pay for emergency medical treatment during their stay in the UK?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://uk.isidewith.com/polls/421957747

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