NHS for Returnees?
 

I am aware that many of us have been away from the UK for a long time, and things change. So much so, that I choose to remain away from there as much as possible.

This was in the 'Daily Pail' today;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...h-tourism.html

A couple of years ago, I found out that my UK Driving Licence had been cancelled, as I had used it to obtain Licences in other Countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Doha, and The Philippines) This was the old 'Pink Variety' from the 1970s. I have the full Email Dialogue if anyone is interested; however, DVLA neatly chose to avoid giving an answer to a fundamental question! – "If I obtained a Driving Licence (for life) in 1976, why has it been cancelled (without you telling me), and why did you choose to 'Change the Rules?"

Will the same happen with the NHS? – Obviously I have a UK Passport (Albeit one issued from Dusseldorf!), and I still have a UK NHS Card from 1958 which has my number in the form of ABCD 123 - Together with an NI Number from when I began work. Will this be sufficient in the future (if I choose to go back?)

Irrespective of being overseas I have continued to pay NI Contributions – Will this have been a waste of time (not to mention money), as I pay into 'The System' at one end, and Eastern Europeans and Accession States draw it out at the other?

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Do you have a UK doctor?

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Yes, apparently I still have the same UK GP

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

I was fine when I went back for surgery, went to see my doc 1st got referred to hospital etc and had no problem. I cannot see why 5/10/15/20 years makes any difference. You should be fine

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Thanks for the information

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

technically as soon as you get a drivers license issued by a foreign government it invalidates your uk one and as such all expats should use their UAE or whatever license in the Uk.

Technically the NHS charges for all treatments if you are a non resident of the UK or EU however most of the NHS either don't know about this or care but if you use NHS services when on holiday you can be billed for it as an expat.
As soon as you are a UK resident again you can again use your UK license and be treated for free i the NHS.
As for NI payments, who knows, the tax man says keep paying them but he would wouldn't he as for actual use in doing so it will help your statutory govt pension if it still exists when you come to collect it but my understanding is it will still not classify for a full uk pension

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Paying voluntary NI contributions when abroad does not mean a person is eligible for free treatment on the NHS. The NI payments are simply to build up entitlement to the UK State Pension. 30 years total contributions are required for eligibility for the full amount and you can easily get a forecast.

Guide to NHS eligibility attached.

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

:D:D

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Aren't these about a tenner a month?

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

yes and sod all to do with the NHS but don't tell the daily mail or its readers

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

That's correct, you surrendered your UK DL when you got your other one, so yes, they will have cancelled it. NHS is residence based so is ONLY available to UK residents, so if you were to move back, then you would get treatment free from day one as long as you could show some form of proof of residence, like a rental contract or utility or council tax bill. Using the NHS without paying if you are NOT resident is fraud and, should you be found out you will be prosecuted, you should also have informed your GP when you left the country, I would suspect that still being registered might well contravene some regulations.

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

How do the DVLA know you have got a foreign driving license ?

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Is all correct, But provided you have a GP a UK address you will never have a problem. You seriously think the NHS has the brains/resources to find out that we are expats. You certainly don't have to prove address, The one thing they do need is to find you listed at an address though (historically).

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

You don't have to prove nowt mate . I still have a NHS dentist and i've seen the same doctor every 12months for the past 15 years .

Lovely fella the doctor , even fixed him up with a cheap hotel in Duabi a few years ago !

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

I just remember the hospital asking for my address and I had to reel a few off before they found my notes. Other than that it was a doddle and they sent me private. :thumbsup:

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

guess the driving licence changed when they introduced the photo card which expires after 10 years

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Your driving license is still the pink form, the photocard is only a card to show you have a DL, any fines points etc are shown on the pink bit and that is the legal part. Nothing changed, it was just an EU decision as the photocardf is easliy recognisable in any country, the pink form, or whatever it is in any other country is much more difficult to understand in a different country. It's correct that the photocard expires after 10 years, of which, I suspect, a majority of drivers are not aware, but even if expired you are still legal to drive, but you may just have problems in other countries who do not realise what the pink form is.

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Legally you may only use the NHS or have a GP if you are resident. However the NHS has no way of checking that your are resident. The only check that they are able to make is that you have a residence address in UK. That can be any address relative etc. Your GP is not likely make any enquiries as it is in his financial interest to keep you on his list. There is a lot of talk by politicians of cutting the huge sums spent by the NHS in providing treatment to health tourists and non residents who are not entitled to free treatment. But without ID cards there is no solution.

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

you qualify for free treatment when you arrive in the UK as long as you intend to remain resident for 6 months or more. I was recently asked by my GP if I was going to be here in the UK for 6 months ;)

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

You do live with your brother, don't you ? Or was that your uncle ?

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

That's only true if there is a driving license exchange. If you have to do a test from scratch, then it doetn't.

Thing is, as you're no longer resident in the UK and you can't change your UK drivers license to an address over seas, it is no longer a valid license anyway. You just update the address with the DVLA when you move back.

The NHS, that's mostly funded by general taxation, not NIC's, those pay for pensions and other benefits.

If you're not resident in the UK, you're only entitled to emergency care, other wise you should be charged. If you will or not will depend on the local authority, some don't bother, some do, it all depends on how well set up they are for this and how desperate they are for money.

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

Re: NHS for Returnees?
 

yes when you become resident in the uk again, you just inform dvla of your new address and they will send you a new photocard/licence etc, you will not need to do a test again, and you will not be fined because your photocard has expired after 10 years. the uae police should take your uk licence off you when you "exchange" for a uae one, but of course they dont, your uk licence is not valid anyways now as you are not resident, if you were to use it in the uk and have an accident the insurance would have a field day over not paying.

same as said with nhs, as a not resident you are only entitled to emergency care, thats not to say that docs are that bothered if you do use their facilities once on holidays,but technically they can charge you, and it does happen more than you may know.