Newspaper headlines: Health tourists crackdown 'to save £500m' By Staff

BBC News Published duration 6 February 2017

The paper says the move to make foreign nationals pay in advance for non-urgent care is "long overdue", and will cut what it calls the "widespread abuse" of the system.

But Labour's Meg Hillier, who chairs the public accounts committee, says she does not think mandating hospitals to take patients' money is the answer to the problem.

The Daily Telegraph leads with a different NHS story - saying one in six A&E departments in England could be facing closure.

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The paper says the changes are being considered despite record overcrowding, and quotes senior doctors as calling them "crazy", although health officials say care will also be improved, and moved closer to people's homes.

The paper describes the plan as "a potent example of the death spiral gripping the NHS" - greater demand leads to cuts, which make the situation worse.

Its editorial suggests there is a clear logic to recouping money from overseas patients - but it calls for a more fundamental overhaul.

His attack on a "so-called" judge who suspended his travel ban is certainly in character, says the paper, "but this is the judiciary... Presidents aren't supposed to attack judges".

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"If this continues," it says, "the United States would be taking a step into the unknown."

"Foreigners are coming in, getting bigger in the areas they're in, and their goal is to kill us," says one.

The Daily Mail leads with what it calls the "downsizing revolution" , which it expects in a government White Paper on housing in England this week.

It says pensioners with large family homes will be given incentives to sell and move to smaller properties.

Studies suggest more than 2.5m family homes could be made available if older owners downsized but the paper quotes Whitehall officials stressing there is no intention to put pressure on people to sell up.

It says British shopkeepers have turned to the Americans to solve the "Great Lettuce Shortage" which has been caused by bad weather in Europe.

It says that is one in the eye for those who warned about Britain going to the back of the queue - though the paper also notes that iceberg lettuces flown in from California and Arizona are selling for three times the price of those from Spain.

The Daily Telegraph warns that the shortage could soon spread to carrots, parsnips and other vegetables because of a cold snap which might see temperatures plummet to -15C.