St Philip North MP and general practitioner Dr Sonia Browne on Tuesday called for some returning nationals to pay for medication at public polyclinics, arguing that citizens who had not paid into the system while not living here should help ease the growing burden on state-funded healthcare.

Dr Browne said: “I think it’s time that others who come in from outside are asked to contribute a little bit.

“There are many people who enter the polyclinic for medication, a lot of returning nationals that get their pensions from overseas. Never contributed to our system. Never paid [national insurance] in our system, but are happy to sit down with a book in the polyclinics for hours to get free medication that somebody else pays for. I think it is time, as I said with exceptions, that some of these individuals are required to contribute to the cost of drugs. It is only fair.