Is Britain Selling Health Care to Foreigners?

A British hospital says no.  But a suspicious number of foreign liver transplants have been done at one hospital.  Reports the BBC:

A London hospital has been referred to health watchdogs after concerns that too many liver transplants are being given to foreign patients.

The Healthcare Commission was alerted after 72 non-British EU nationals were given new livers in four years at King’s College Hospital.

Of those, 37 were given to Greek and Cypriot nationals in what were classed as “private” operations.

But the hospital said non-UK patients could not “buy” a transplant.

It said the figures were an anomaly caused because the Greek and Cypriot governments operate a different funding arrangement with the Department of Health than other states.

Most countries pay the Government a block fee to cover their citizens’ treatment in the UK. However, Greece and Cyprus pay hospitals directly on a patient-by-patient basis and so the procedures are classed as “private”.

I though the National Health System meant equal access for all, and not just for those whose governments will send a check.