Free health care in the United Kingdom?

birdman



Joined: 20/09/2010
Posts: 690

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 00:57

Can anyone tell me the recent ruling on British Nationals living abroad with regards to them returning to the UK for health treatment?

I have read that if you have paid National Health taxes for at least ten years then you are entitled to free health treatment in the U.K. EVEN IF YOU LIVE ABROARD ?

Where did I read it and can anyone substantiate what I read ?

Where did it come from?



Gerry

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 02:32

Gery,

If you are entitled to a pension from the UK, why would you not be entitled to health care? It does not make sense. We take care of people who have not paid anything into the system, cause we are nice and we know that when they get a job eventually they will pay into the system plenty.

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 05:40

Gerry,



I e-mailed the Minister for Health (UK) at the end of last year inquiring about health care in the UK for someone who was very ill living in NC. They couldn't afford the treatment here. If interested I can forward you the reply. Basically they were not entitled to free NHS care but like everything else in this world there is a way around it.



I think you probably read the report you mention in Cyprus Today newspaper and it was a BRS statement.



Chris

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 06:20

Thank you for your email of 27 October to Andrew Lansley about access to NHS treatment for one of your patients. I have been asked to reply.



There is no provision whereby visitors to the UK can automatically be entitled to free NHS hospital treatment. Anyone who is not ordinarily resident in the UK is subject to the ‘National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989’, as amended. Nationality or past or present payments of UK taxes and National Insurance contributions are not taken into consideration when establishing residence. The regulations place a responsibility on NHS trusts to have systems in place to establish whether a person is ordinarily resident, or exempt from charges, or liable to be charged.



Under these regulations, there is an exemption whereby anyone who is taking up permanent residence in the UK is entitled to free NHS care. If your patient’s intention was to live permanently in the UK, he will be exempt from hospital charges from the

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 06:24

Under these regulations, there is an exemption whereby anyone who is taking up permanent residence in the UK is entitled to free NHS care. If your patient’s intention was to live permanently in the UK, he will be exempt from hospital charges from the date of his arrival in the country but he should expect to be asked to prove his intention and that he is legally entitled to live here. Examples of evidence could include:



· documentation to prove he is entitled to live in the UK such as a British Passport;

· documentation that proves his intention is to reside here permanently such as sale of goods/property overseas, receipts showing shipping of goods, application for benefits.



Please note that in all cases the regulations place the responsibility of deciding who is entitled to receive free hospital treatment with the hospital providing treatment.



Yours sincerely,



Edward Corbett

Customer Service Centre

Department of Health

kavenkoy


Joined: 10/04/2008
Posts: 1787

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 06:31

just go back and have your treatment ....like you say if you have paid then you are entitled.



as for all the others that fly there for free treatment ,then for me they are not .



its easy for NHS to check ,type in somebodys NI contibutions ,if they have paid it should show ,if they have not then charge them or return them back to their own country .



kav

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 06:40

http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcareabroad/countryguide/pages/healthcareincyprus.aspx

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 06:41

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074384

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 06:55

its easy for NHS to check ,type in somebodys NI contibutions ,if they have paid it should show ,if they have not then charge them or return them back to their own country .



Kav

Unless things have drastically changed since I left the UK and NHS our computers had no access to things like DHSS to check contributions.



I agree that the system is wrong and that British Nationals should be entitled to free Health care, especially pensioners who have paid into the system all their working lives.(and paying UK tax on their pension still)

But where does it stop! We have a friend in Australia who now receives a UK pension (reduced) and he left Scotland after only working in the UK for 10 years! Should he be entitled to free health care as well?



Chris

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 07:13

Nursey,

Absolutely... I worked on the computing side of the DofH and DHSS at times and can confirm there is no link as this would be against the provisions of the Data Protection Act. The DPA stipulates that information and data gathered for one purpose can not be shared with another authority for a purpose not commensurate with the use to which it is primarily gathered.

JohnDownes


Joined: 03/12/2010
Posts: 123

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 07:41

As it happens a couiple of weeks ago I attended a seminar at teh UK High Commission which dealt (among other things) with this very subject.

I can confirm that Nursey (Message 4) is quite right. To get free treatment under the NHS you have to be able to show that you live permanently in the UK. Your contribution record counts for nothing, it just doesn't work like that.

Strange but true.

flowerfairy


Joined: 17/09/2008
Posts: 1277

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 07:58

Well, to confuse the issue, I know an expat of 20 odd years who recently had to return to UK for reasons beyond her control.

Upon arrival, was given a complete health check, receives NHS treatment.She now has a flat, and a small amount to survive on each week.

I must admit, I was very impressed with the care she has recieved from the UK.

I can only think that it depends on what area you live in, and the circumstances.

metin


Joined: 08/09/2008
Posts: 1588

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 08:21

My neighbours went back to the Uk when one of them was told they had cancer. They had lived here for over 6 years....... he was taken off the plane and taken straight to a NHS hospital, where he received all the necessary treatment free of charge. They had family there which may have helped him show a UK address.



I think as long as you keep a UK Doctor, or have family that can provide you with an address......you can get around it.

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 09:33

Nowt to do with N.I. contributions, soley where you NORMALLY reside.

If you normally reside in Cyprus (North or South) you have already given up all rights

to free medical under the UK's NHS.

If you return to UK to NORMALLY live there, I believe you'll be entitled to NHS treatment

after 12 months.

Geoff

Famagusta City

carian


Joined: 13/03/2009
Posts: 336

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 10:09

Re message 14, I think Chris's letter from the Dept. of Health, clearly states that if you return to the UK to live you will be entitled to free healthcare immediately. Also as far as I remember from when I worked in A & E all emergency treatment is free so if you were on holiday and needed to visit the A & E dept. you would not be charged,but if you were involved in a road traffic accident there was a charge under the Road Traffic Act ( unless this has been scrapped ) for the treatment NOT as many people think for the ambulance.

kavenkoy


Joined: 10/04/2008
Posts: 1787

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 10:11

message9

no its hasnt changed ,im just saying thats the easiest way to check ....but that would be to easy wouldnt it .



it would also be easy then to say , ah mr kav you have paid in and worked all your life ,you need a operation so you can have yours done next week .....or ah mr kav you have not worked for 25 years ,allways claimed sick and incapacity and scanked the system ,you need a operation but there is a 2 year waiting list .....



best way ,keep uk address going and get a doctors . when you go back over go to the doctors with a very simple medical condition ...your back in the system then



kav

dalartokat


Joined: 14/04/2008
Posts: 734

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 10:12

Flowerfairy, you have confused the issue by giving an example, which if you read the e mail reply that Nurseawful provided, is that your friend went back to the UK with the intention of staying, "she was given a flat" so the intention is to live in the UK.



There really is a lot of nonsense written about this issue every time it rears its head. It has always been the case that if you leave the UK to reside abroad that you are not entitled to NHS care if you decide to go back at a whim because you don't like the service in the country you wish to reside or for whatever reason. In past years the hospitals have not implemented the rules because they felt it was not to do with them the same as GPs, their attitude is to treat people not decision makers for the Government.



People who say they know someone who has received treatment after living ..x.. amount of years are probbly not told the truth in that those people have not surrendered their medical card....cont

dalartokat


Joined: 14/04/2008
Posts: 734

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 10:16

...cont...not told their doctor and have deliberately given an address(relatives)just to receive medical care. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the amount of tax or NI contributions and you have left the UK and should have made the decision to also provide for your Healthcare in the country you have decided to live in and took out the proper Medical Insurance. You cannot have your cake and eat it.

flowerfairy


Joined: 17/09/2008
Posts: 1277

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 11:16

dalartokat, I do beg your pardon. Yes, she did return to Uk with the intention of staying.

Excuse me, the only reason i passed this info. on was in case anyone who read this and had intentions

of returning to Uk, could do so with this knowledge.

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 11:32

If you are no longer UK resident - you could be charged for false claims. If however you return and become resident

you will recieve NHS healthcare. If you reside in the ROC or have access to ROC healthcare as TCs have then you can obtain an EHIC which would give you some entitlements to ealth coverage in the UK or other EU states.

sienna


Joined: 09/01/2009
Posts: 1627

Message Posted:
12/06/2011 11:35

the grass is never geener in difficult times