Couple evacuated from coronavirus-hit Wuhan ‘face £10,000 bill to give birth in UK’
A British man evacuated with his pregnant wife claims they may have to pay for her to give birth in England.
A British man evacuated from coronavirus-hit Wuhan with his pregnant wife claims they may have to pay more than £10,000 for her to give birth in the UK.
Jed Jones, 28, and his wife Liu Pan are currently staying in Lydney, Gloucestershire after they were given the all-clear from the infection and released from quarantine in Milton Keynes yesterday.
The couple were relieved to be told they were both healthy but they now face the possibility of having to pay a sizeable amount for Chinese citizen Mrs Liu to have her baby on the NHS, Gloucester Live reported.
Mr Jones said his 24-week pregnant wife does not qualify for free treatment because she only has a six-month visa and is not a UK resident.
He said they were unaware they would face this cost when they left China and may have to return to have the baby because they cannot afford it.
Mr Jones said: ‘I’ve got a quote for just the prenatal care and it is £1,500. It could be up to £4,500. The birth could cost anything between £2,600 to £7,800.’
He added: ‘For me it seems unfair that we suddenly realise we are stuck paying thousands of pounds just to ensure the safety of wife and my unborn child.
‘We followed government advice to evacuate, we went through their procedures.
He claimed if they were unable to pay the full amount upfront they could accumulate debt that would make it harder for her to attain a visa in the future.
Mr Jones relocated to China in 2013 to work as a software developer.
He has been married to graphic designer Mrs Liu for five years.
Mr Jones added he paid UK taxes and national insurance through the British company he worked for in China.
He said he was told by the Home Office to contact the immigration helpline but they were unable to help.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We understand this is an unusual and challenging situation, and the NHS will never refuse maternity care.
‘The NHS is a residence-based service so overseas visitors are required to pay towards the costs of their treatment, just as British taxpayers do, but the NHS will always provide maternity to those who need it, including anyone repatriated from China.’
The coronavirus has infected nearly 77,000 people and killed more than 2,500 in China, most of them in Hubei.