'NHS tourist' accused of £55,000 fraud

An Egyptian businessmen accused of travelling to London to obtain free health care has had his assets frozen and been barred from leaving Britain.

Albert Girgis is facing claims he duped doctors into giving him £55,000 worth of free treatment.

The action against him follows a fraud investigation and is believed to be the first over so-called NHS tourism. Mr Girgis, who had treatment for a heart condition, is a wealthy importer and exporter based in Cairo. NHS investigators claim he has been abusing the system for 13 years.

It is alleged he received thousands of pounds worth of surgery and drugs, undergoing free treatment at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, the Royal Brompton and Royal Marsden.

The NHS Counter Fraud Service claims the 71-year-old told doctors at the hospitals he was a UK resident entitled to free care.

During his visits for treatment, he stayed with his sister, who lives in one of London's most affluent areas, just off Kensington High Street. In an international counterfraud operation, officials tracked down his real address - an expensive-Cairo apartment. Lawyers working for the NHS visited the businessman at the Kensington address yesterday, issuing a freezing order on his assets and ordering him to surrender his passport.

The freezing order prevents Mr Girgis from disposing of any assets up to the value of the NHS civil claim and costs. He is allowed ?300 living expenses per week. The order also bars him from leaving Britain until the case has been

resolved. He has until next Friday to pay the ?55,000 or face court.

Jim Gee, chief executive of the NHS Counter Fraud Service, said: "It is unacceptable for wealthy health tourists to exploit the NHS.

" We will not allow NHS resources to be plundered by those who should and can pay for their treatment. Such people should expect tough action to be taken against them."

Health Secretary John Reid has vowed to clamp down on foreigners who travel to Britain to obtain free NHS treatment. New measures designed to weed out those fraudulently obtaining free care were introduced earlier this year.

However, some NHS doctors are reluctant to help - insisting it is not their job to police the system.

The tough action against Mr Girgis will please hospital managers.

Until now, it has been left to individual hospitals to recover costs from suspected NHS tourists - an expensive and often fruitless process. Three months ago it emerged that a Ghanaian tribal chief left taxpayers with a £70,000 unpaid NHS hospital bill.