Millions of Britons duped over the internet into paying for free EU health cards



Millions of holidaymakers are being ‘ripped off’ by websites charging for EU health cover cards which are free from the NHS, an investigation reveals today.

Demand for the cards – which entitle Britons to medical treatment at no or reduced cost should they fall ill in Europe – is booming in the run-up to the summer holidays.

But experts believe around one in seven of the eight million UK citizens applying to renew their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) this year have unwittingly paid up to £20.

Investigation: Gemma Bowen, of Consumer Focus, with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which are free from the NHS

The scale of the scandal is exposed following a joint investigation by the watchdog Consumer Focus and the Daily Mail.

Astonishingly what some of the private operators are doing is legal, provided that in the small print they tell applicants that the cards are also available free directly from the NHS.

A basic internet search reveals how easy it is to be tricked into passing on personal details and credit card numbers to some dubious private companies.

It is often difficult to distinguish between the official NHS site and those set up independently.

If consumers use search engines such as Google to apply for their EHIC, previously known as an E111, these private firms’ sites often have a more prominent position on the results page.



For example, a search for ‘European Health Insurance Card’ brings up www.e111.org.uk. This is not an official site, but is run by MTS Administration in Bolton, which charges a ‘processing fee’ of £9.95.

Last night, Consumer Focus urged the NHS and ministers to do more to highlight the problem.

The EHIC entitles Britons to medical treatment at no reduced cost should they fall ill in Europe

Gemma Bowen, the watchdog’s head of investigations, said: ‘At a conservative estimate millions of pounds are paid on an annual basis. Even the most sophisticated end-user can be caught out and effectively tricked into paying an unnecessary additional fee.’

Once applicants fill in their details on the unofficial websites and pay their fees, the details are simply copied to the official NHS site, where NHS staff process the order free of charge and send the card directly to the applicant.

The NHS website has been inundated with complaints about the scandal, with critics condemning it as ‘tantamount to fraud’ and others asking, ‘how can this be legal’.

Many private firms claim to offer a ‘review’ service for their fee. But this claim to carry out in-depth checks was undermined when Consumer Focus submitted bogus details to one website, which went unchallenged. ‘There was clearly no review or check,’ said Miss Bowen.

She said: ‘The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigated five sites offering consumers a review and forward service. The OFT concluded the companies were trading unfairly and that the sites were designed to deceive the end user.’

The Department of Health said: ‘The Government is very aware of the problem and is grateful to the Mail for raising consumer awareness in this area.’

The EHIC allows access to state-provided healthcare in all European countries. Without it, a traveller may be charged for treatment.

MTS Administration was unavailable for comment last night.



