A leading GP in Waltham Forest has said it is "absolutely ridiculous" to ask doctors to act as "immigration officers" as part of the government's crackdown on so-called health tourism. 

Dr Elliot Singer, is a partner at Churchill Healthcare which runs Chingford's Churchill Medical Centre in Churchill Terrace, and Chingford Medical Centre in Ching Way. 

New health charges for non-UK residents were introduced in April, which the Government predicts could raise £500m annually for the NHS. 

While primary care and emergency care remains free to all, regardless of immigration status, non-emergency treatment such as being referred a consultant could see migrants' being charged a fee.

Therefore, it has fallen on GPs to refer a chargeable patient for hospital services that may come with a fee.

A new motion submitted by Dr Singer as medical director of Waltham Forest Local Medical Committees (LMCs) and doctors from Tower Hamlets, Manchester and Salford, was passed last month. 

It called on the BMA to "issue clear instructions that the role of the doctor is to provide medical care    when it is needed and that doctors should not involve themselves in any monitoring of immigration status." 

But, also to "provide robust support for any doctor who is victimised for refusing to partake in monitoring of immigration status."

Dr Singer, said: "The whole issue is inequitable. 

"The emphasis is on GPs to check someone’s migration status to see if they are entitled to NHS care and put this in a referral letter. 

"It is absolutely ridiculous. We are not qualified to do this and it is waste of time and resources.  

"It presents a conflict of interest.

"If I know a patient of mine cannot financially afford care, do I then treat them myself when I know they could get better care from a consultant? 

"Ethically it presents quite a dilemma.

"The NHS was designed to be free at the point of entry, as doctors we should treat people regardless of their ethnicity, nationality or background.

"It should be up to the Home Office to sort this out – there is no room for doctors to be making these decisions.

"I’m trained to treat health needs, not as an immigration officer.

"For people practising medicine, this could be put them in an awful position where they could face huge difficulties."

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Dr Elliot Singer outside Churchill Medical Centre in Churchill Terrace, Chingford

Dr Singer said, due to austerity, the issue has come to the forefront as the government are now "trying to enforce these rules on us". 

He fears many patients, including those in Waltham Forest, will be worse off and has come across the dilemma at Oliver Road Poly Clinic in Leyton. 

"Referring a patient for chargeable treatment could worsen their health outcomes and very much have a detrimental effect on patients’," he continued.    

"At Oliver Road, I frequently have problems with patients registering and have frequent conversations with clinicians about treatment.

"It boils down to, should we be notifying hospitals or keeping quiet".   

He accused the Home Office of "passing the buck" and said any short-term savings would be negated as a result of people becoming seriously ill from not having access to free treatment.     

Dr Mark Porter, chair of the BMA, said: "Anyone accessing NHS services should be eligible to do so, but it is vital that doctors are able to concentrate on treating patients rather than acting as border guards. 

"The BMA’s is concerned that a system of migrant charging is likely to be an ineffective and that it could end up costing the NHS money to administrate."