7.30pm. Friday 9^th January 2015, at Birmingham Medical Institute, 36 Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3AF

Does migration keep the NHS healthy or is it breaking the bank?

In the year ending March 2014, 243,000 people migrated into the UK. As an organisation with almost two million employees, it is reasonable to expect that some of these people will work in the NHS.

UKIP’s Head of Policy, Tim Aker, on the other hand, has argued that ‘open borders policies turned (the NHS) into an international health service’, linking migration to two billion pounds of NHS expenditure.

‘Efficiency savings’ seem to have gained popularity as an effective treatment for the long term health of the NHS ever since former NHS Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson set his challenge to save £20 billion by 2015. The Health Minister, Lord Howe, has launched plans to extend NHS charges to migrants to stop the ‘abuse of our NHS’. The Department of Health claimed that these measures could recover £500 million.

An alternative view was put forward by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. On Radio Four’s Any Questions, he named and praised the Romanian social worker who helped his father when he was seriously unwell. Like the former President of the Royal College of GPs, Clare Gerada, he noted that you are more likely to meet an immigrant working as a doctor than sitting in the waiting room. ‘Bring them on’, he went on to say.

Professor George Tadros: Consultant in old age liaison psychiatry and a clinical lead for the pioneering Rapid Assessment, Interface and Discharge (RAID) service based at City Hospital in Winson Green.

Gisela Stuart:  Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston since 1997, and health minister under Tony Blair’s government.

Dr Luke Evans: Freelance GP in practices around the Edgbaston area. Prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate for Birmingham Edgbaston.

Phil Bennion: Former MEP for the West Midlands, arable farmer and Chairman of the National Farmers' Union in Staffordshire.

Ken McLaughlin: Senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, teaching sociology, social policy, mental health and social work.

The debate is produced and chaired by Jonathan Hurlow, Member of the Birmingham Salon, Forensic Psychiatrist & former Research Officer for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform.

Guardian report on study suggesting that temporary migrants cost the NHS up to £2bn a year.

Collier, Paul. Exodus: Immigration and multiculturalism in the 21^st century, 2013. Available on Amazon in printed and Kindle editions.

House of Commons report on NHS charges for visitors, October 2013.