holly_1948

Are you bewildered by the new NHS in England?
Not Scotland or Wales mind you.
Well, I was, I still am, but here is an excellent video animation to get you started.
Unfortunately they edited out the best bit which was something like "We voted to choose a government, but a coalition was not one of the options put before us".

Anyway, here it is, 5 minutes worth of recommended viewing.
http://www.vimeo.com/69224754

Oh, and don't be alarmed that it is silent until about 10 seconds after the start, be patient waiting for the sound.

Editha

No I'm not bewildered by it. It was quite complicated before the reforms too. And I am in favour of coalition government.

Lothianlad

The things...they are a-changing.......for far too long the free at the point of issue National Health Service in England (and this only applies to ENGLAND - Scotland & Wales go their own way on this one) has been regarded, fairly widely in other countries and pretty much seen to be so in actual practice, as the International Health Service.

But not any more. The Conservative led Coaltion Government now plans to charge ALL non UK / non EU citizens the minimum sum of £200 for even the most basic of treatment on the NHS in England, so no dosh, no treatment. I would reckon that emergency treatment requiring immediate attention in life theatening situations would be provided but with adequate facilities to be arranged for the securing of financial payment.

So, no more Americans sneaking into an English NHS Hospital and being given the most amazing treatment at an ultimate cost of £62,000 to the UK taxpayers...then immediately disappearing into the ether the moment he received his discharge from hospital without so much as taking a 5p coin from his wallet...and never to be seen again.

The system was very obviously at fault there, but as a hard working UK taxpayer I so begrudge paying one penny piece for a Yank to take advantage of British stupidity and the British Healthcare system before ******g off back to his homeland where he may well have had to mortgage his property several times over in order to pay for the same kind of treatment.

Already the doofuses making up much of the Labour Party are aiming accusations of "xenophobia" at the Government, but what else would you expect of a luvvy lefty lot of clowns led by a gormless leader Red Ed Milipede firmly in the control of his paymasters - old time Communist type Socialist Len McCluskey and the all too powerful Unite Trade Union.

pondhopper2014

Um. If my family and I move there - as british and british by descent - will we be charged if something happens? Or do we slip by? We're planning a PERMANENT move... but?

michali

I doubt they would charge you or your family if you are going to there to reside permanently, as long as you can prove that is the case. This new proposal will help to alleviate the problem regarding visitors who go to get medical treatment and do not pay. I am surprised that people have been able to get away with this for so long. In 2003 my husband went to the UK for treatment and, until his medical insurance was confirmed we had to self pay and, of course, when his treatment was completed, we still had to pay any outstanding bills. Mind you, having come back home, I guess we could have just ignored the bills from the UK but that is not the way we choose to live!

mikelincs

Resident British Citizens will not be charged as you will have a NHS number, people newly arriving from overseas will be given a temp NHS number, which shows they are not entitled to the full range of NHS facilities until they have redided in the UK for 6 months. These people will be charged.

michali

Does that apply to EU people too? Or just non EU who are coming to live in the UK (though the latter group soon will not be able to live in the UK at all!)

robin1234

I don't really see the logic in this.. surely, if you are newly arriving from overseas and are settling permanently in England, you become a tax payer from day one. It's not as though there is a six month waiting period to start to pay taxes!

As I understand it, provisions are already in place to charge visitors for any NHS services apart from emergency care.

Bluegrass Lass

I completely agree. If I have a visa and begin working, I should be entitled to treatment without pay, just like any other resident/citizen.

When I was in Scotland visiting in summer 2011, I had to see a neurologist fairly quickly for my medical condition. We wound up paying 250GBP for the visit - it wasn't free.

holly_1948

I seem to recall that the rule is or was that you did not pay if you could show that you were permanently settled. And six months legal presence was a safe harbour, if you didn't have some other way then that way would do.

But the whole thing is a political football more than a real problem. They audited one hospital (Basildon 2010/2011) and found that stuff chargeable to foreigners amounted to 0.02% of that hospital's spend.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt recently said "Foreign nationals owe the NHS at least £200 million a year". He cited no source for that figure, but if it is true, it is 0.2% of the NHS budget which is roughly £1.0E+11.

The foreigners should pay their way, they really should, don't misunderstand me, I agree. But this is principle at work not pragmatism. The money involved is not big enough to make a measurable difference, still less a noticeable difference. Those who suggest "the country can't afford to go on like this" are just being the mouthpieces of the rabble rousing politicians.

And that leaves unanswered the question of how humane it would be to have sick people in our midst go untreated? I think this is a non problem and the status quo was fine. Which de facto was "If it was obvious that you travelled to get medical treatment then you paid. If not obvious you didn't pay". Not official policy but that's how it worked in practice.

Edit - but I digress, did everyone like the video?
http://www.vimeo.com/69224754

sile

"So, no more Americans sneaking into an English NHS Hospital and being given the most amazing treatment at an ultimate cost of £62,000 to the UK taxpayers...then immediately disappearing into the ether the moment he received his discharge from hospital without so much as taking a 5p coin from his wallet...and never to be seen again. "

That's quite a statement. So, it's all about AMERICANS SNEAKING IN, is it?
Wow.

Pistolpete2

More likely to be ineligible Uk citizens living in spots around the globe where local healthcare is either inadequate or expensive and in some fashion they are able to get under the radar on annual trips back "home" to see family, stating that they have a Uk doctor and NHS card from some time in the distant past or are British, which in many cases seems to be sufficient answer.

However, as we see on here, even eligible Brits with an apparent foreign accent can have difficulty getting past some (over)vigilant NHS admin assistants. What chance Yanks, as you put it?

I get a sense that at present it (Uk health tourism) is a lottery and that at the very least is clearly unfair. At worst, another form of benefits fraud, but it has got to this point because the Uk is deemed a soft touch particularly to those who culturally feel it is their duty to exploit such weakness.

mikelincs

You are both British Citizens, so you will be fully covered from day 1 as long as you can show proof you are resident, so a utility bill, rental agreement etc.

WEBlue

Have your say (pro or con) on possible NHS charges for short-term non-EEA migrants to the UK. UKBA consultation on the subject announced here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/po...consultations/

Questionnaire here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HOhea...esconsultation

Input will be collected for the next 6 weeks, then the Consultation will close.

roaringmouse

Based on previous consultations we know the likely way things will go, whether or not people speak against the "proposed" plans. The language being used is quite clear.