Sorry Ian there is a link to the DFM in this article, but I thought it interesting enough to post..... WWW
NHS vulnerable to health card fraud, government admits
A Hungarian reporter working undercover for the DFM said she obtained an NHS number and then an EHIC card.
She claims she was then able to access a range of medical treatment in Hungary - including maternity care - with the authorities there able to recoup costs from Britain.
The reporter, Ani Horvath, had a fellow journalist pose as her landlord and offer a forged tenancy agreement as proof of address in order to register at a London GP surgery.
Ms Horvath said she then flew to London and underwent a check-up at the surgery, during which her Hungarian ID card and the lease document were scanned but not questioned.
She was then issued with an NHS number, which her accomplice used to successfully apply online for an EHIC card for her, which was valid for five years.
Whitehall sources said it was not clear how extensive EHIC fraud might be, but the Department of Health acknowledged there were loopholes in the system that could be tightened.
By Hugh Pym, Health Editor BBC There are no figures on the scale of fraud with EHIC cards obtained in the UK and used to cover health costs in other European countries.
Whitehall officials believe it could be limited. But critics will say the fact that the Government does not know how much of the money paid to other health systems for EHIC use - £154 million in 2013/14 - might be the result of fraud is itself a problem.
The Department of Health acknowledges that the system need to be tightened up. Questions will be asked about whether more robust evidence of residence and National Insurance contributions is required before NHS numbers and EHIC cards are provided. Cards issued in the UK have a five year lifespan. Some argue this could be shorter, in line with other countries.
Then there's the issue of policing the system with many GPs arguing their job is to care for those who need it rather than act as border control officials.
MORE.....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33843758
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3191557/Foreigners-charge-NHS-care-country-Loophole-lets-thousands-migrants-free-treatment-card-GP.html