Health tourism - another benefit of enrichment

At least one newspaper today is reporting an increase in health tourism, and the fact that many people from foreign countries who come here to use NHS services then return to their home countries without paying for their treatment.  Also, some are unwilling either to return home or to pay.

One solution would be to make it harder for foreign nationals to enter Britain in the first place, although this would not go down well with people in Britain who have family living abroad.  Another solution would be to make it harder for people to get NHS treatment if they cannot demonstrate their entitlement, although this might make life difficult for people who are legally in the country.

Would you, assuming you are entitled to NHS treatment, be able to prove your entitlement? Could you prove it today?  Tomorrow? Next week?

One option for the government is to allow health tourism to continue unchecked, regardless of the cost.  It would be expensive, but any other option might cause unexpected problems.