guirijohn

The UK government is proposing to allow free NHS treatment for British expats resident overseas where they have paid sufficient national insurance contributions.

“We propose that those expatriates and former legal residents of the UK not subject to immigration control, who have paid National Insurance (NI) contributions for a significant period (we propose at least seven years), should also retain access to all NHS treatment free of charge, both when returning to live in the UK and when just visiting.” para 3.7

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...n_document.pdf

It seems that the current arrangements were not cost effective; no centralised system for recovering costs from overseas visitors was in place, hospitals risked being sued if they refused treatment or discharged patients prematurely; as much was being spent in recovering the debts (£15 million) as was actually being recovered. More information is available here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...y_document.pdf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23156403

Might be worth postponing any illness that you feel coming on.

Neptuno

Flicking briefly through it, am I right in thinking that this is only for necessary treatment-you still cannot go for elective treatment?
Don't get too excited-Remember it is only a consultation and may take ages; the situation remains the same!

agoreira

"Under the government's plan, foreigners coming to Britain will have to pay at least £200 to access free hospital care and pay a charge every time they visit a GP.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants only permanent British residents to qualify for anything other than emergency care free of charge."

Domino

considering hospitals manage to discharge patients in the middle of the night without any hope of help and support perhaps it is about time the NHS should worry more about being sued by non-visitors first.
seems wrong to me that the visitor knows the law better than those who were born in the country.

I have no problem with people getting medical help if they are taken ill but actually planning a visit to get that help is wrong.
We should be able to withdraw the money from the Foreign Aid paid to the home countrys concerned

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mazo1952

First reply so sorry if I have not done it correctly. My husband has had a stroke before Christmas and we are going to England for a month but his prescription in Spain are for only two weeks can we get me cation from the doctor in England

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Would it not be easier to talk to the medic here who knows yours husbands details and ask for additional medications to cover him whilst you are in the UK. It would save a lot of time and hassle answering questions in the UK.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

mazo1952

Thank you we will make an appointment and see if we can do that. Will let you know how we get on.

Marie