NHS
 

Hi. Moving back to UK from Canada wondering about health care NHS. How do I apply I am a British Citizen. Thank You in advance

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All you need to do is register with a GP.

As you are returning to the UK to live, you are automatically covered from the moment you step off the plane.

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I've moved your post to our 'Moving Back or to the UK' forum, as the members in here will be able to give you up to date information

Good luck with your move! :)

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Best to make sure there are steps there though. Or one of those corridor thingies. ;)

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Just walk into the GP offices you want to use and ask to register. When I did this I was given a form to complete and I also booked an appointment for the following week so I could take in my bottle of prescription pills to show the GP. At the appointment she asked what I was taking them for, a short examination and then said well that’s exactly what we prescribe for that as well. I walked out with a repeat prescription.

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Don't worry about that, the NHS will be there to pick, or scrape you up. :eek:

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Even the ambulance is free! *

*For our resident pedants/trolls; the term of art “free” means free at point of service, paid for by the taxpayer.

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Are waiting lists really a bad a I've heard? For a knee replacement for example. I just had knee surgery and may need a knee replacement due to arthritis. I was wondering if I should try to persuade my doctor here to do it before I move, while I still have private insurance?

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Waiting Lists? Right now, nobody knows for certain. The press is forecasting problems (no surprise there) the NHS is reporting a shortage of "normal" patients since COVID19, we have adverts on the TV telling people to get back in contact with their GP/outpatient department My wife (NHS nurse) tells me it's very quiet at work; somewhere in between is the answer. Waiting lists were a fact of life pre-COVID, there has been no magic wand, so my advice would be if the surgery is necessary and you can get it done before you move to the UK, then do it.

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Sometimes I forgot we're living in a Covid world with patients not being comfortable with surgeries at the moment! Thanks for the perspective.

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I'm really feeling my age lately! I went to my US doctor yesterday because I've been experiencing a few issues and was referred to a cardiologist because my resting heart rate has been increasing over the past 6 months and I've been feeling dizzy plus other symptoms. I'm probably jumping the gun here with my question because I haven't seem the specialist yet but I experience anxiety so I tend to worry excessively.

I'm so used my health insurance in the US and things always seem to go smoothly. If your GP refers you to a specialist you pick someone your insurance covers and can usually get an appointment within a few weeks. The quality of care seems good, my co-pays are low and the quality of doctors seems good. (The only drawback is the high annual premium.)

I plan to return to the in just over a year. My worry is that as my health issues have increased with age -- arthritis in my knees, a torn meniscus, anxiety & depression to name a few -- (and now potentially heart related), will the NHS able to meet demands as people feel comfortable returning to their GP's/hospitals, can you easily get appointments to see a specialist without having to plead and be on long wait-lists, what's the state of psychiatric services and will I be able to get the psychotropic medications which I currently take? I've now lived in the US for almost 35 years and had little need for healthcare when I lived in the UK because I was too young. But I'm scared of leaving this good health care system behind for the unknown, and a system for which I haven't heard many positives. (From friends and relatives in the UK.)

I'd love opinions on how people feel about the state of the NHS, how it was pre-covid, where you expect to see it in a few years - especially from people using or in the system. I admire the health care workers and how they dedicate their lives to their profession so this question is geared towards the system itself and by no means a knock on the workers. Thank you.

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I can’t fault the NHS. Whether it’s my daughter being born with a disability (a week in a private room after the birth at no cost then a physio that came to the house twice weekly for a year), my fathers Parkinson’s and heart failure, or my mothers breast cancer (diagnosed on a Thursday, operated on a Monday), or my husband in a hit and run accident and needing plastic surgery, it’s always been amazing. My daughter had an infected wound after an accident last year, we turned up to a packed A&E and she was assessed immediately and then taken straight through to see a doctor, total wait time about 4 minutes. :lol:

No problem ever signing up to a NHS dentist, and always got a doctors appointment same day, in all 5 places I’ve ever lived in the UK.

So no complaints from me, but as you can see from the above, we’ve never needed routine care (we don’t like to things by halves in my family :lol:). Something more minor than suspected septicaemia may well have meant an hour or two’s wait in A&E. A routine op needed could mean lengthy waiting lists. From my experience, anything major and you won’t have to wait.

Private healthcare could be an option to look into for more routine stuff maybe?

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Most people think the NHS is wonderful and I agree. If you have something seriously wrong with you - heart attack, cancer, stroke, etc - you are whisked in and treated; without worrying about how much it is going to cost you.

But, as an NPR program showed recently, and as some of my UK friends have noted, elected surgeries have long wait list - one pal waited 18 months for a knee surgery. ( I used to work in the NHS and it has usually been like this for years).

While in my area in SoCal - lots of retirees - you might wait 3 months to get in to see a knee specialist, once that is over it would be only a further 3 months to get the surgery; and as you say, depending on your health plan, you can pick your doctor and pick your hospital

ALL my pals in the UK have a private health insurance top up (e.g. BUPA) to get that treatment which is not going to kill you, but is mighty painful and debilitating if you have to wait 18 months to get fixed.

No doubt, that health care would be a deciding factor if hubby and I ever really looked at moving back.

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LOL - you're not my wife are you? I joke; she has similar heart issues, diagnosed as palpitations; she had a heart attack 10 years ago which resulted in her having stents put in, was done overnight and she was back home 2 days later; the palpitations are down to her getting older.

The NHS is what you make of it; I have no complaints, it's there when I need it. Never had any problem getting appointments or medications (they even deliver to your house nowadays).

They have been magnificent during COVID, some of them have paid the ultimate price of their dedication.

All the above is said within the background of my wife being a nurse at our GP surgery, so what I get may not reflect reality for the majority; an experienced nurse gets as good as a doctor when it comes to diagnostics; many are now in such roles.

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Well for sure your family doesn't do things by halves! Thank you for sharing your personal stories and I hope your loved ones are recovering. I don't think we'd be able to afford private healthcare but worth looking into down the road just in case. That's very reassuring about emergency medical care! Health care workers are such incredible people! Thanks christmasoompa - very much appreciated.

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Private medical cover in the UK is nowhere as expensive as in the US . Remember, the service they offer does not include emergency treatment (you would not be taken to a private hospital for heart attacks, strokes, etc), nor day to day treatment, visits to GP's, on going prescriptions.

It is used primarily for those treatments for which one has to wait - such as knee/hip replacement.... a top up policy

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I'm starting to get the picture. So emergency medicine is very similar to the US but it's the electives with potential long the wait lists. So I will definitely want to get my knee replacement done here before moving. I couldn't get a quote on BUPA as I'm not a UK resident and have not been established with a GP for 6+ months but are we talking a few hundred pounds a month or much, much more? Thanks SanDiegogirl.

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Thanks for expanding on that.

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Glad to hear your wife made it through her heart attack okay. My Dad had a heart attack around the same time and had nothing but praises for the level of care he received. The ambulance driver happened to see him the day after his surgery and was shocked he made it considering the state he was in when they loaded him into the ambulance. Such admiration for nurses and all health care workers, even more so this trying year!

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I'll find out for you from my UK pals and get back to you.....

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Thank - greatly appreciated!

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We returned to England in 2017 after almost 30 years in the USA. At age 62 we signed up for private health insurance. £99/month currently for the 2 of us at age 65 and that includes vision and dental. It comes into effect if the waiting time is over 6 weeks on the NHS. (Vision and dental works great)

I haven’t used the private insurance but my wife has. She had to have cataracts done with the extra complications of having had RK surgery 29 years ago. She was recommended to use a particular surgeon, top consultant at our local hospital who also practices at a nearby private hospital run by the Nuffield. She was seen to immediately and the surgeon was brilliant. After doing her first eye he told her that her second eye was much more complicated and he wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it privately as she would need a custom torric lens which was not covered by insurance but was covered by the NHS as her astigmatism was too bad to be corrected fully with glasses. There was also the possibility of him needing to do 2 surgeries and he wouldn’t feel right if that happened. Doing the second eye under the NHS at the NHS hospital was no added delay as she was under his care and he made sure she was a priority case. That second eye did not need 2 surgeries but did need more after care with drops 3 times a day to keep the vision stable. Then at 8:35am one Sunday morning he called her to say that he had just come back from the USA where they had much more experience with RK patients needing cataract surgery and he had some new drops he’d like to try. Could she come into the hospital on Tuesday? Just turn up without an appointment and let them know at reception. The new, once at night drops, have been excellent and my wife is delighted. This was just before the Covid lockdown in March and 3 weeks later he called her on her mobile, we were walking on the moors at the time. He asked how the drops were working and said he would send a repeat prescription through to her GP. A few days later, again while walking on the moors (we live on the edge of the N York’s Moors NP) our local GP surgery called my wife to say that they had received her prescription and would set it up for her. We get our prescriptions via mail so it worked great.

I haven’t needed to use our private insurance yet despite having 3 suspicious moles incised and tested, referral to the cardiac unit for atrial fibrillation, multiple appointments and tests at the hospital and heart ablation to fix the problem in 2018. We can always get a same day appointment with our GP, I can view my blood test results next day using the NHS app so I can say categorically that we are very happy with our healthcare in the 4 years we have been back.

I did notice at our local Nuffield hospital that they advertise their prices for hip and knee replacement. It was £9,500 for a knee or hip including all the aftercare, physical therapy etc. The ad stressed no insurance needed. For my wife’s eye surgery we received one single bill from the hospital for the multiple visits for tests before and after plus the surgery. We paid our £500 deductible and that was it. Quite different from the many experiences we have had in the USA with the many EOBs over many weeks after hospital visits - even a colonoscopy in the USA was a billing nightmare for us despite checking ahead of time that the doctor and facility was “in network”.

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Quite a reasonable premium .... well worth taking it out.

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We have been very pleased with it. It is very easy to make dental and vision claims online. £50 deductible for dental which includes 2 checkups/cleanings per year. Similar for glasses whenever the prescription changes which it has done each year for me and multiple times per year for my wife with her cataract surgeries and RK complications this last 2 years.

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Thanks for your detail durham_lad. 99.00 a month seems very reasonable for a back-up; I was expecting it to be much higher! I think, as usual, I'm worrying too much. I have a feeling the NHS will meet our needs. And will definitely consider private insurance too. (Just have to pray that the dollar maintains and doesn't lose more value because that will affect a lot of financial decisions.)

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Let me give you another example of the NHS. Due to lockdown I developed a serious alcohol issue. I mean very serious. Two weeks ago I plucked up the courage to seek help and went to see my GP. We talked and we discussed options. At the same time, I joined an online support group. It is international, but most are Americans. It seems getting treatment there often isn’t covered by insurance and if it is, options are limited to generally residential rehab with big out of pocket costs and often long wait times.

I was offered in patient treatment on the NHS or in home treatment where the rehab team come to my home every day. I opted for the later. This Thursday they came and did medical examinations and on Monday, 9am. The team will arrive and we will begin. They will be here every day for some time, then, the counselling team will start (a psychologist one day and physiatrist then next) attending my home initially, then me going there. All organised in two weeks.

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First of all, how brave of you to seek out help! I can't imagine that was an easy step to take. :thumbsup: I didn't know in home services like that existed anywhere. Best of luck on Monday and for the coming months!

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NHS has worked fine for me. I have multiple chronic medical conditions including Chronic Kidney Disease. I came back as a permanent resident in 2011 after many years working in Africa, Europe and The Middle East. No regrets !

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Thank you for sharing your story, it’s very good of you to do this and I wish you all the best.

I have an idea how difficult it is getting affordable insurance for mental help issues in the USA as our son has cerebral palsy, was on anti seizure drugs until he was 16 then suffered from clinical depression while in college but managed to graduate at age 24 and came back to stay with us while looking for a job. This was 2007 and he was uninsurable, not even with an exception for mental problems. Fortunately he got a decent job with insurance, no preconditions, within 6 weeks and has been doing okay although does have bipolar disorder.

Last year he had a rough time with feeling down and low on energy so we persuaded him to see his GP here in England and he was referred to mental where he underwent sessions using CBT through the NHS and it has been really marvelous. (He moved to England in 2017 and lives close by us)

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A pal in the UK has responded. He and wife (age 71 and 70) pay 275.00 GBP per month for them both. They have a 1,000 GBP deductible . They say that come 70 the premium costs go up considerably - their current premium of 275.00 GBP was increased by 25% over last year's.
Several companies do private insurance so one needs to shop around.

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I used Active Quote for the first couple of years to find a company, and was suitably impressed. They set me up with Aviva and I have been impressed so far. No increases in 3 years but I expect this to change as we age. (We are both aged 65 at present)

https://www.activequote.com/

I watched an episode of “Hospital” a year or so back which was on St Mary’s NHS Hospital in London which also runs a private hospital on its grounds, the profits from which help fund St Mary’s. A lady in her late 70’s, a smoker, was having a cancerous lung removed and they followed the process including the consultant surgeon who charged between £2 and £3 thousand. Don’t know how much the hospital charged but the woman was paying over £400/month insurance.

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The increase in premiums is rather like those of Medicare Supplementary plans. As you age the % increase per year (or per age group) goes up - not much, but it keeps on creeping.....

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creeping....

Just like dry rot, which is how I feel myself deteriorating :huh: I think Bette Midler summed it up well when she said that growing old is not for sissies.

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It was good of you to get that info from your friends for the OP :thumbup:

I researched private health insurance before scouse and I moved to the UK as I was a bit worried about just relying on the NHS. After calculating the yearly premiums and deductible, plus learning about how private health insurance interacted with the NHS, we decided that we'd just self-fund if anything came up that the NHS couldn't deal with in a timely manner.

It was something that worked for us, the only time we decided to have private treatment was for shoulder surgery for scouse. The NHS wait period for the surgery was at least 6 months and he was in pain. The entire cost, including MRI x 2, the surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre costs and 1 night private hospital stay was around £5,000.

Everything else was under the NHS, with no or very short waiting periods. That included referrals for both of us to specialists for management of ongoing medical conditions.

The only thing that I had to get used to (and never really did) was in the three years of attending the same GP practice, I had to see whoever was available rather than being able to see the same GP consistently. However that seems to be dependent on your location and the practice itself as others have reported no problems in being allocated the same GP.

Oh, and the other thing I never really got used to was not having to pull my wallet out every time I exited a GP or specialist office!

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Hey
i had a terrible time with the nhs

i suffered from arthritis in my hip due to hip dysplasia was fine until i was 17 and suffered until i was 34 as i was too young and the nhs wouldn't do it...finally got a doctor who i was seeing for something else and he was asking me about health issue and i told him and he put me onto a surgeon who dealt with young people needing this surgery..after xray i was told it could't be repaired and it would need to be replaced.. anyway all been done and has been a great success for me but i suffered for a long time because I was young and i would need more than one

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So sorry you had to suffer while you waited for hip replacement and happy it's finally been taken care of.
Thanks to everyone who has posted quotes for private insurance. Just curious about private insurance - do they exclude pre-existing conditions as many insurance companies do here in the US?

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Yes they do. Like other types of insurance you can’t wait until something breaks before taking out insurance.

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Thanks durham_lad. Had a feeling that might be the case!
I have to say, overall I'm really looking forward to the NHS. Paying about $2000 a month for health insurance for the 2 of us here in the US really makes me furious. Watching people put off going to the doctor's because they fear they may not be able to afford treatment makes my blood boil. Although it seems not to work for everybody as team6's shows, it's a far better system than the junk that's been forced down my throat for 30+years! I feel very proud of the UK for the NHS. :britflag:

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Generally US health insurance polices are prohibited from excluding PEC's, which was one of consequences of the Affordable Care Act.

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I was wondering if anyone knew what the situation would be for returning with foreign spouses. I heard something about foreign spouses having to pay a surcharge for NHS. My wife and I are thinking of returning. She is Taiwanese/ American and had some pregnancy services under the NHS in 1990 when we were back for a few months but I don’t have her NHS number. Thanks.