You can bang on about ID cards as much as you want - it won't happen

There are countries which have ID cards that would work but they've had ID cards for years and have been able to build their systems organically over time - they started out with simple cards, them moved to magstripe, then on to (effectively) chip & pin etc.

We don't have any of it. We'd be starting from scratch. To build a system from the ground up requires massively more time, money and risk than upgrading one where, for example, you already have the data of the people you're wanting to verify the ID of in the form you want it and everyone understands how the ID cards work & etc. Just defining exactly what criteria the card has to meet would turn into a massive bunfight as different agencies stuck their fingers in the pie....

We don't have ID cards. We aren't getting ID cards any time soon. The reasons for that are not political, they are entirely pragmatic. we have to find different solutions to our problems.

then i believe the NHS will be privatised sooner rather then later ...

Out of all the " immigrants abusing the NHS", how many are Brits living abroad who have lost their entitlement? I'm not entitled to healthcare in France beyond what is available with a EHIC card.

Well recent stats suggest there are 300,000 pensioners living in Spain alone. I believe the Spanish healthcare system should rebill the NHS for their health care. Be interested to find out how big a bill that is. For some reason the papers never seem to mention it...

the reason for ID cards is for those residing within the UK, who pay taxes and NI for the NHS service, is to stop abuse of the NHS regardless of nationality and from whence they come.
if that individual has no right to treatment i dont care if they are expats or not unless they are exempt from payment such as retired or pensioners who have paid 35 years of NI. those that have stopped paying for the NHS service, and are not exempt, have no right to abuse the NHS system the same as anyone coming to the UK who have never paid into the NHS system and comes here to abuse it.

as stated anyone who comes to the UK who does not have entitlement to NHS medical treatment must have medical insurance or no right of entry is allowed, i dont care if they are expats or anyone else ...

they do already but most retired, pensioners are exempt from NI payments after 35 years of NI payments. i do wish that voluntarily those overseas continued NI payments.
but unless the abuse of NHS is stopped and those that have no entitlement to use the NHS is enforced you are looking at a private medical system within the UK as the tax payer will start to refuse to fund the NHS for others to abuse. its a National Health Service not a World Health Service. your choice you choose ...

PS. all overseas aid should be stopped. the money is most urgently needed at home ...