Local Lib Dems are backing the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in its campaign to persuade the Government to exempt overseas nurses working in the NHS to stop being charged to receive care for themselves and their families.

Under a system introduced in 2015, non-EEA nationals must pay a £200 overseas health surcharge per family member for every year on the main sponsor’s work permit. It’s resulted in some overseas nurses receiving requests for more than £3,000 to cover possible use of the NHS.

In February, the Government confirmed it will double the cost from £200 to £400 later this year and has so far refused to rule out extending the fees to EU migrants after Brexit.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Mary D’Albert said: “We have a chronic shortage of nurses in this country, and at the moment we have 25,000 nurses from outside the EU working in the NHS. All of them pay income tax and National Insurance as well as providing a key public service.

These people keep the NHS running; they are the very last people who should ever be sent up-front invoices for health care.”

There are also 21,000 EU nurses working in the NHS, who will be fearing what the system will be post Brexit.