Is this birth map proof of 'health tourism'?
Updated on 26 November 2009
A map showing the diverse nationalities of new mothers in UK hospitals has triggered a fresh debate over so-called "health tourism".
The Mail online is reporting details of the "birth map", which shows the wide range of nationalities of new mothers getting treatment at a London hospital.
The report focuses on the growing number of women who do not count themselves as British, giving birth on the NHS.
The map was put on display at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital to "celebrate ethnic diversity".
It shows just 18 babies out of 240 were born to mothers who themselves were born in the UK. The others come from all over the globe: 71 countries in total, including Russia, India, Australia, America, Brazil and many parts of Africa.
Under current rules a woman must be a legal UK resident for at least a year to be entitled to free NHS maternity care.
Critics say the figures are clear evidence the National Health Service is being put under immense strain by the UK's rising immigrant population and so-called "health tourists".
But others say the map simply reflects the multi-ethnic make-up of modern Britain, in particular its urban centres like London, Birmingham and Glasgow.
