#2026/536NHS overseas visitor charging rules amended for infectious disease treatment
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
The rules narrow when overseas visitors can receive free NHS diagnosis or treatment for listed infectious diseases in England. The exemption no longer applies if someone travelled to the UK specifically to seek that diagnosis or treatment, unless the travel was agreed with or funded by the Secretary of State. The amendment also adds hantavirus disease, including severe lung and kidney-related forms, to the list of conditions that can be diagnosed or treated without charge. This protection applies retroactively to services provided from 1 May 2026, so NHS bodies should not charge or recover charges for those hantavirus services during that period.
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Key Changes
- Limits free NHS diagnosis or treatment for listed diseases where an overseas visitor travelled to the UK specifically to seek that care
- Keeps the exemption where the person’s transport was agreed with or funded by the Secretary of State
- Adds hantavirus disease to the list of conditions covered by the charging exemption, with retroactive effect from 1 May 2026
Obligations
What this law requires
Do not provide free NHS diagnosis or treatment for a Schedule 1 infectious disease to an overseas visitor if the visitor travelled to the United Kingdom for the purpose of seeking that diagnosis or treatment, unless the travel was by transport agreed with or funded by the Secretary of State.
Provide diagnosis or treatment of hantavirus disease, including hantavirus pulmonary or cardiopulmonary syndrome and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, without charge to overseas visitors where the Schedule 1 infectious disease exemption applies.
Do not make or recover charges for services provided on or after 1 May 2026 and before 6:00 p.m. on 18 May 2026 for diagnosis or treatment of hantavirus disease, including hantavirus pulmonary or cardiopulmonary syndrome and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.