LONDON, Dec 28 (AFP) - The British government is to announce measures Tuesday to stamp out "health tourism" whereby foreigners come to Britain to take advantage of free health care, Health Secretary John Reid said.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Reid said it was unfair for foreigners to come to Britain to tap into the National Health Service (NHS), which nominally guarantees free care for all.

"If there are emergencies here, and there are bone fide tourists dropping ill on the street, of course we will do what we have to do morally and legally," he said.

"But we are not mugs. There is a difference between being civilised and being taken for a ride."

Health tourism is said to cost the state-run NHS an estimated 200 million pounds (285 million euros, 354 million dollars) a year.

Cases include women who come to Britain on a six-month holiday visa when they are more than 34 weeks pregnant, then giving birth at an NHS hospital without paying a penny, the Sunday Telegraph said.

"Every time that happens, somebody has to wait a little longer, often in pain to get the service to which they are entitled," said Reid, who is charged by Prime Minister Tony Blair with whipping the NHS back into shape.

Under proposals to be announced Tuesday, free care will be denied to business travellers and their dependents, failed asylum applicants, and HIV sufferers seeking long-term expensive treatment, the Sunday Telegraph said. Genuine emergency cases will remain exempt from charges.

"The starting point I have is that the NHS is first and foremost for the benefit of those living in the United Kingdom," Reid told the newspaper. "Visitors need to know that they will be liable to be charged for treatment."

Commenting on the Sunday Telegraph report, a Department of Health spokesman said: "The full details will be announced on Tuesday. We are going to look at changing the rules."

031228
AF0312A8

©AFP 2003. All Rights Reserved. AFP articles contained on the AEGiS web site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without AFP's prior written permission. You may make one copy of each article for your personal, non-commercial use only; more copies would require AFP's prior written permission. obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP photos or materials. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP stories, photos or graphics. -   http://www.afp.com/

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

©1990, 2003 - AEGiS. AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.