We need a better understanding of the effects of ‘medical tourism’ on health systems to have an informed debate about fairness and regulation

Medical tourism is not a one-way street. Research shows the number of patients travelling from the UK for treatment abroad is greater than the number coming to the UK. Johanna Hanefeld, Neil Lunt and Richard Smith looked at effects of health tourists on the NHS and uncovered a nuanced picture which has implications for debates around medical tourism, migration and health.