A man who has been left paralysed from the neck down following surgery has been billed £15,000 by the John Radcliffe Hospital.

A crowdfunding page has been circulating online for a man who fell down the stairs during a family visit from India on January 5.

The page is seeking to raise £120,000 to help cover ongoing medical costs including a portable ventilator and intensive care treatment back home in India.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has said it is sorry the family is in this position and emphasised that all NHS trusts are required by law to charge overseasa visitors.

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Jason Dorsett, chief finance officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “I’m very sorry to hear about this situation. We cannot comment on individual cases but I would invite him to contact the Trust to talk to us directly.

“All NHS trusts are required by law to charge overseas visitors who do not live in the UK, and therefore not eligible for free access to NHS care. 

"The approach to charging overseas visitors receiving healthcare is based on the tariff set by national NHS bodies, including for surgical procedures and ITU stays. 

Oxford Mail: OUH Chief Finance Officer Jason DorsettOUH Chief Finance Officer Jason Dorsett (Image: OUH)

“Where an overseas visitor does need to access Trust services, the Trust considers whether the patient is exempt from payment in line with nationally-set criteria. 

"Where patients are chargeable and have highlighted challenges with payment, the Trust will consider reasonable arrangements that secure payment to protect NHS resources, such as instalment plans.”

The fundraising page has collected nearly £27,000 from more than 290 donations.