It is a legal requirement for providers of relevant NHS services to recover the estimated full cost of a course of treatment in advance unless doing so would prevent or delay the provision of immediately necessary or urgent treatment.

This means that where a clinician has determined a patient’s care to be non urgent/routine/elective, payment from the person liable will be required upfront and in full where no exemption category applies, before the treatment can be provided. In practice, this will always apply to all elective, non-urgent care including Assisted Conception Services.

It is important to note that all maternity services are deemed to be immediately necessary. Exemptions from charges may be related to services (for example accident and emergency or family planning services) or individuals (including vulnerable people such as refugees or asylum seekers). Please see Chapter 1 of the Guidance on implementing the overseas visitor charging regulations for details of exempt services and individuals.

The Overseas patient tariff price list is designed to support providers in upfront charging.

These prices are not mandatory for providers to use and are not designed to replace existing pricing practice where providers have a system in place that works.

This price list should be used in conjunction with the regulations.

Overseas patient tariff 2021/22

Price list for upfront initial billing of patients who are not eligible for NHS treatment, and are therefore directly chargeable, where better local information does not exist.

We will keep the price list under review and will ensure that any changes required are reflected as appropriate and necessary.

If you have any questions please email nhsi.overseascostimprovement@nhs.net.