BristolUK

Um....but didn't someone point out there were people, being British and resident, who hadn't paid in and never would but would still be entitled to NHS treatment?

Tommyboy17

Interesting topic

Its not something I had thought much about but agree with much of what is said by lots of posts with differing opinions. Not sure what I think personally, as I now see myself as being in Canada for the long term and looking at my future I have no need or wish to get service from the NHS so hopefully its a moot point. I dont think I would feel put out being asked to pay for any service that was given to me as I am not a resident of the UK anymore, but at the same time I dont think I see it as a particularly morale issue either, if I was to get something and not get charged I would't lose any sleep either.

startwin

The health care is not free. Someone else is paying for it. If you are not a UK resident, you are not entitled to free health care at someone else's expense. I go back twice a year, and get insurance to cover. I paid into the system over there for years before emigrating. That does not mean that I am entitled to abuse the NHS - and if there is such widespread abuse, it's no wonder the NHS is in trouble.

Almost Canadian

You misunderstood what I meant. The analogy I intended to use was this:

When paying into the UK system, it could be argued that one is paying a premium for when they are in the UK (like paying a premium to insurer A).

When relocating to Canada, using the same train of thought, one is then paying into the Canadian system (like paying a premium to insurer B).

When covered by insurer B, it would be ridiculous to argue that insurer A should cover you as you paid premiums for years to insurer A. That, to me, is the same as arguing that one paid into the English system for years and are therefore entitled to be covered by that system having left England.

Almost Canadian

The resident bit is key. The OP does not appear to be a resident.

nooka

Yes it's emergency treatment at A&E or any doctor's surgery. Just no referrals or elective treatment, and if you end up in hospital after A&E then you will get billed for it (well your insurance company will be billed, because you will of course have travel insurance).

startwin

You are wrong, and I can respond to that with some authority, having dealt with a situation when there on vacation, where my OH was admitted BY AMBULANCE to the hospital due to serious medical condition. I contacted the insurance company immediately, and they spoke to the medical personnel in Bristol. It turned out that if you are admitted with a true emergency and by ambulance only, the treatment free. (Not, however, any further follow up). An ear infection definitely does not qualify. And to further clarify, if he had been able to make his own way to the hospital, say by taxi, it would not have been free either. But that's hard to do when you are clinically dead. The paramedics (who are wonderful, by the way) and the A&E medics, are the ones who define true emergency.

Let's face it, if you are not a UK resident and you claim free health care while there on vacation, then it is fraud and at the very least dishonest. You may get away with it, but I wouldn't boast about it. Just because other people do it does not make it right.

Jerseygirl

You haven't disagreed with anything I have said (apart from the ear infection)...so why did you say I was wrong? All you did was to go into more detail.

As far as the ear infection is concerned...read the link in my post #37. Like you I can also speak with 'some authority' because it happened to my daughter.

BristolUK

Yes...Spooook seemed to think it revolved around paying in as if that alone was what should determine entitlement.....my comment (added to the earlier mention) was just to show there were people who hadn't paid in (and never would) who did qualify. I was mischievously wondering if Spooook felt they should be excluded from treatment.

nooka

There is no "paying in" for any tax provided service in the UK. It is based on the concept of free at the point of need, for all UK residents, paid for by all UK taxpayers. There is no hypothecation in the British tax system. It doesn't matter whether the funds are raised through income tax, NI, VAT or any other method. It all goes into one pot (the balck hole) and is then divided up into the various budgets. Gordon Brown was right in saying that the increase in NI was to pay for the NHS, but only in the sense that the NHS was going to get more money, so taxes woudl be raised, and NI was the way that he was going to do that. There has been discussion about hypothecation, but that's about it.

The free emergency treatment is because it was felt it would be unethical to turn people away in a genuine emergency (also the clinicians felt this would be against their oaths, and did not want to get involved in anything to do with testing whether sick people were entitled to see them). But it is only the emergency aspect, so the immediate need in primary care (ie the emergency GP appointment for a child's ear infection) or the immediate need in A&E (ie resuscitation, operations for things like broken bones etc). The hospital will then do it's utmost to get the money back if it can from insurance companies, foreign embassies etc (I once worked with someone whose job it was to suss out the "health tourists" and make sure they were billed, and paid up).

Sorry you feel aggrieved spoook, but this NHS is being drained by health tourists line is very Daily Mail, anti-immigration and generally racist. It isn't based on any real evidence, and if you are looking to, or have immigrated, rather hypocritical. There are some small parts of the NHS (Cornwall for example) that have issues about providing emergency care to unregistered patients, but the issue is as much because of English people going on holiday as foreigners without cover. Maintaining a national health system is incredibly expensive, and it doesn't matter why people are cheating the system, it's just less money in the coffers for everyone else.

nooka

You mean like babies in intensive care that don't make it, or are severely disabled for the rest of their lives? An incredibly expensive (although small) group btw

bodgerx

A little strong. She still pays her National Insurance as far as I know - I guess she thought this was covering her. If she did her research and found out it wasn't allowed, I'm sure she'd repent...

Jerseygirl

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....one more time....National Insurance Contributions have nothing to do with the elegibility to the NHS!!!!!!

TrishP

Oh, I'm not an adjuster but work to try and patch up the claimants after injury, involves much battling on my part to try and lever the funds out of the insurance co. to be able to get the things the clients need to be able to recover.

bodgerx

Yes. And that's exactly why I said "she thought". Calm down.