javari

Yes I did pay for the social security in the Netherlands and receive since 1998 a state pension and my wife as well, so I will get in touch with the office in Holland and will ask them how to proceed with assistance to get hospitalization in Portugal

Mitzyboy

If you are receiving a state pension in your home country, then normally you will have access to the state system in the country you move to in the EU.

In the UK the Department of Work and Pensions issues a document that gets you accepted into the new country system. I'm sure there will be a similar system in Holland

scot47

My experience too has been that if you get a pension from an EU member State then you should get access to health care in the EU country you are living in. This care will not necessarily be free !

Mitzyboy

Correct. In Spain pensioners have to pay (about) 10% of prescription charges. In France I believe there is a top up insurance. I believe that it wont be long before charges will apply in the UK as well for pensioners and for visiting a doctor

liveaboard

AFPOP has merged with the Dutch Portuguese expat association, and will be in position to advise on this.
www.afpop.com

bejaboz

Hi Mitzyboy, From where have you obtained your belief the UK will start charging for visiting a doctor & prescription charges?

mikelincs

I suspect from the same source everyone else has, it is something that has been in the media, it isn't government policy.. yet..

bejaboz

I peruse the media quite avidily, i.e. the web, newspapers, TV etc. and have seen nothing suggesting this, but while I wouldn't be surprised it is being considered, this would be a pretty big vote loser for whatever party brings it in.

Mitzyboy

It IS being considered. Its been put forward by the Government. The thought was it might be £10 for the general public to visit a doctor, and maybe triple that for "professionals" such as solicitors and accountants.

I cant see it happening as it claws at the very nature of the NHS ... but who knows

MrBife

It was all over the UK press about a week ago ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...s-8732498.html

bejaboz

Thanks for the link, which I hadn't seen. However, it doesn't seem to have been picked up by other media sources, at least with the level of sensationalism used by the Independant.

GPs are already very well paid, with many well above £100,000 a year, perhaps they need to be firmer with their patients who they believe are seeking appointments unnecessarily.

Mitzyboy

Fair enough, but it was headlined on SKY News, BBC news etc.
I agree about the GP's. A lot are paid that much because they turn themselves into a business. Our surgery has 6 or 7 doctors and is situated in a very large converted house which no doubt they own. I'm guessing that the fees, should it happen, wont all end up in the GP's pockets ... the Govt will take most

bejaboz

I agree, but whatever happened to NHS free at the point of delivery?

Our practice, as is also true of all the others in the town, are multiple services now, and generating a lot of money from ancillary functions, opticians, pharmacies, chiropractors etc. in addition to their NHS payments, especially with a large patient list.

Mitzyboy

That's why I said earlier that I didn't think it would happen, because that would be the beginning of the end of the NHS as we know it.

bejaboz

Plus, for which ever party proposes it, would not find themselves winning an election in the near future and if the government in power did it, they'd be out at the next election, but this could allow the incoming party to retain the charging and blame the previous government, which is what they all do now.