FloydPalmer

Hi,

My wife, upon registering with her GP practice, was told she would have to pay £50 per appointment!

I paid around £600 for what was an NHS charge (not sure specifically what this entailed) which I assumed was to cover this but what was the charge for and is the £50 per appointment correct? They're also requesting for a copy of my marriage certificate.

Thank you.

BritInParis

If your wife is resident in the UK on a spouse visa and she has registered with a NHS GP surgery then there should be no charge for making a GP appointment.

scot47

They are charging here as a private patient. Paying the NHS charge means that after that you should be treated without extra charge.

spouse of scouse

Did your wife take her biometric residence permit with her, as well as other ID? The only reasons I can think of for the 50 pound charge are that your wife didn't have the required ID, residence and address proof, or it was a private practice. (or they don't know what they're doing!)

FloydPalmer

She took her biometric card which the practice made a copy of and the relevant ID. It's not a private practice - it's an NHS one which takes patients.

I would think it's the latter and they don't know what they are doing but also can't find any paperwork to confirm payment of the NHS charge.

EDIT: I've spoken to the practice and explained the situation. They are requesting the biometric card, marriage certificate and some sort of documentation confirming the payment for the NHS charge which not sure where that will come from as my solicitor paid the fee online in my presence. Incompetence and misinformation seems to be playing its part on behalf of the practice as well.

spouse of scouse

Very frustrating for you. If they were better informed, they'd know that your wife couldn't have received her biometric residence permit if she hadn't paid her NHS surcharge (or was a national of an exempt country) - she wouldn't even have got through the application stage.

When I registered at my local GP (Australian, married to a Brit, on first stage of spouse visa), I provided my biometric residence permit, my passport, and a letter from the local council in my and my husband's name, with our address on it. That was it, no fuss, no bother.

Hope it's sorted out for you soon.

SanDiegogirl

Not surprising that one would need to supply documentation proof of being in the country legally and eligible for NHS.

So many reports of health tourists and how much they cost the NHS - so being new to the country why would being asked for proof of eligibility be so unusual?

Try getting any medical services in the US/Canada or Australia for that matter without some proof of being eligible or able to pay.

spouse of scouse

I don't think anyone who's posted here has mentioned having a problem with being required to prove eligibility SDG. The OP's wife provided her biometric residence permit and other ID. If there was something additional the practice wanted, they don't appear to have asked for it.

SanDiegogirl

I think the OP is somewhat miffed about being asked. He called the practice incompetent and misinformed.

BritInParis

And he'd be right if his wife presented her valid BRP when she went to be registered. Nothing else is required. If you want to be really precise about it then attending a GP appointment in England is free regardless of your immigration status providing you are a registered patient so they didn't even get that right.

SanDiegogirl

One can be registered at a GP surgery but can still be charged if you are registered as anything other than an NHS patient.

Nothing stopping doctors seeing non NHS patients - due to the patient not being eligible for the NHS.

The point being here that the receptionists at the surgery had the impression the person registering was not eligible for the NHS - a mistake, yes. They asked for proof of eligibility.

I myself returned to the UK last year for some time and "registered" with my old doctor in case of medical needs. They "registered" and told me I would be charged for appointments or treatment.

FloydPalmer

As noted, my wife attended the practice and we believed provided all ID required (proof of address and biometric card which she left a copy with the receptionist but on my conversation today, they don't have any record of it!) so you can understand our frustration that it seems it's elongating the process. Hardly a case of moaning about having to verify eligibility, or being a 'health tourist'.

BritInParis

Primary NHS care (GP, A&E) is free of charge regardless of your immigration status so unless the OP's wife wanted to register as a private patient then it's simply a case of the receptionist either not understanding her request or not understanding the rules. Given what they're asked for regarding proof of payment of the NHS surcharge it's obviously the latter.

morpeth

Up until recently in state I am in no ID was ever requested at doctors office, just an insurance card. Now because of problems with abuse of prescription drugs all doctors asking for ID. Also interesting, doctor's office make sure they have enough personal information so their collectors can track you down for payment.

Tr1boy

That was pretty thorough. When Mrs TB needed to go to the Dr when we were on holiday one one year, we went to my old surgery ( which wasn't even built in the current location when I left for Oz).

They said to me " aren't you Betty's son'?

I replied yes, then they said " oh that's alright then, lovely to meet your wife, when do you want to see the Dr me dear" ?

And that was it when we returned to the UK to live 5 yrs later, she was still registered there and they didn't ask to see anything.

Don't reckon it would work like that now