toots sweet

Is this something new?
We arrived back in the UK (being in PT for over 3 months) to find OH had been deregistered from/by our GP.(Not me). Tried to get to the reason but they were generally not forthcoming. I was under the impression that you had to be informed if that was to take place. So he had to re-register,in the meantime unable to see a doctor. We have been away from the Uk for more than 3 months on many other occasions and this has never happened( and why have I not been deregistered).
Today we received a confirmation letter to say he had been re-registered. BUT on the back of the letter it said..."If you go abroad for more than 3 months,please send this notice back to us confirming the date you are going abroad.You will need to re-register with a doctor on your return to this country." I had nver heard of this.Is it something post Brexit? Yet another barrier that has to be faced? We are in Wales,so is it just here or all over the UK, does anyone know?

Fredbargate

I recently spent 3 months in London after having left the UK 45 years ago.
I had taken 2 months worth of medicines with me expecting to be away about 6 weeks.
When it became obvious that my stay would be longer than expected the staff in my accommodation registered me with a local practice.
Simple with me providing my place of birth,the last doctor I was registered with proved more difficult as I was young and healthy back then and moving frequently.
However within a week it was all set up and a free prescription delivered to a nearby chemist.
This was followed up by offers of covid jabs which I had received in Gibraltar and a stool sample check which I undertook.
After recieving two lots of medicines I was at last invited to the surgery for a blood test before they were willing to issue a further prescription.
I fled the country instead.
That reminds me I must see a doctor here to get some more free prescriptions or pop into a chemists and buy the medicines for pennies,

Pistolpete2

When we left the UK in October 2019 we were specifically advised by our GP at our doctor's surgery that the NHS basically cuts you loose after being away for more than three months. They didn't automatically de-register after three months though. We had to call to be de-registered after about six months, as I recall.

At that time, they said they would be happy to flip us over to a Visitor's Registration if we ever needed it.

Nothing to do with Brexit but things have been tightened-up in the last couple of years due to perceived abuse of the system, particularly as it relates to hospital treatment by non-residents.

Shanorme

That's odd. We were away for more than 3 months and were not de-registered. Also, based in Wales. How do they even know you're away? I can't imagine things are that joined up with border control.

Pistolpete2

These are old old rules and all they say is "when the NHS (UK) become aware that the patient has been away from the UK for more than three months". Not clear how they would become aware.

This regarding medication:

"If a person is going abroad for more than three months, all they are entitled to at NHS expense is sufficient supply (no more than 1 month) to get to the destination where they should register with a local doctor for continuing supply; this may need to be paid for by the patient."

chislenko

To be fair one of the questions on the UK 2021 census was to do with being out of the country for more than three months a year.

I did wonder why at the time, got my mind to thinking re state pension but perhaps it is to do with GP's.

A news article the other day reported many dentists "pruning" their client list.

Red Eric

wellinever

LOL....bout right

mikelincs

Whwn we moved to Spain in 2004 we told our local surgery as we got copies of our records, when we returned in 2008, to the same town we found that my wife had been deregistered, but I was still on their books! took but a couple of days to sort out.