Increasing the Immigration Health Surcharge to fund public sector pay is immoral and divisive

Doctors in Unite is appalled at the government announcement that the well-below inflation pay rises for public sector workers will be funded by doubling the NHS Immigration Health Surcharge for migrants.

DiU fights for the Labour movement to be inclusive, for all workers. We resist racist tactics that aim to divide workers.

The NHS surcharge goes against the founding principles of the NHS as a universal service, free at the point of need. Just like other workers, migrants contribute to NHS funding through general taxation. Doubling the NHS surcharge to over £1200 per year is an unjust additional penalty. Migrants are effectively ‘taxed twice’ to access the same service.

DiU calls on trade unions to pressure the government to drop the NHS surcharge for all migrants, and end charging for NHS care.

On its 75^th anniversary, tackling racism is essential to building a fairer NHS. A founding principle of our health service is universal access to healthcare, grounded on the premise that all people are equal.

Racism has no place in our NHS and our Labour movement.