scampicat

I posted the following on another forum in response to the quote below in italics. No-one so far has given me an answer. Can someone here explain it please?



QUOTE

It has been a law for years that if you are living out of the country for more than 6 months you cannot visit for health care in the UK. I agree in principle but yet someone can arrive illegaly and get full treatment! I know many do go back as they use the address of a relative


But how do they do this? I still have my house in the UK and could use that as an address. But you can't be resident in two countries at once and I understood that you had to access the healthcare in the country you were resident in (unless paying privately).

The only way I can think of is that they lie about being resident to get the UK treatment (but then surely they wouldn't be eligible for it in Spain?).

So how do Spanish residents get UK treatment on the NHS??? Please tell as I'm obviously missing out on something here?

Mitzyboy

They lie basically.
They haven't notified the Uk that they have left the UK, in the way for instance I did by applying for an E106 before I left to cover me here.

As you say, they use a relatives address often and just go back when they need treatment

They are covered for emergency treatment here only therefore, and I'm not sure if that is limited.

I went back in September and needed to go to a doctor in the UK .... I got charged £30 odd for the priviledge .... I'm not sure If I could have lied and said I was from elsewhere in the UK & visiting relatives or something like that.

I'm not completely sure if a foreign national can just arrive in the UK and get health treatment, other than for an emergency. You have to contribute into the British system afaik to qualify for non emergency treatment, but someone may now prove me horribly wrong! If they can then its a travesty!!

Fred James

Even if you notify the DSS (or whatever they are called now) and get a E106/E121' from my experience a few years ago, they do not communicate this fact to the local health authorities. As a result you remain on your doctors list for ever!

I was made aware of this by my UK doctor (a personal friend) who knew that I had left the UK some time ago but was still showing up on his lists!

This may have changed recently but I doubt it.

No wonder the UK NHS is in a mess.

scampicat

Thanks for clearing that up., Mitzyboy. That was the only way i could see it happpening, with people lying.

These people would not be covered under Spanish healthcare too, would they?

We too applied for our E106's shortly after arriving in Spain. I got an E106, my husband was sent an E121 as he is on IB. When my E106 expired, they sent him another E121 with my name on so i am covered on that as well

But we were told in the letter that accompanied the form that we could not access the British NHS other than for emergencies occuring while we were actually in the UK.

Therefore I could not understand how Brits resident in Spain could get British NHS care.

Answer - they can't unless they lie.

Thanks again!

So, Fred, I could try making an appointment with my British GP and see what happens? And if he saw me, that means I have free healthcare in both countries, yes?

Fred James

It would be worth a try - it certainly used to work.

As I said, it may have changed - maybe the NHS have got a computer system to work at last!!!

jdr

As the doctors still get payed for you on their books, I can`t see them unloading you very quick. ;-)

scampicat

Thanks all, I'll get my husband to try it next time we're in the UK - he has more cheek thsn me!!

scampicat

Just had a thought.....I think I must still be in the UK system because I had a letter go to my UK house (where our son lives) making me an appointment a mammogram ( a regular check for women my age).

My son told me about the appointment on the telephone.

I rang them to try to re-arrange the date as we were going to be in the UK about six weeks after the appointment they sent me. I didn't mention we lived in Spain. Unfortunately they couldn't fit me in the dates I wanted, so I said I'd ring back. (Never did). Not once did they say I was not eligible for NHS treatment.

But if they sent me the appointment, I must still be on the UK books I would have thought!

Mitzyboy

That is ridiculous! I might try making an appointment next time I go there just to see what happens!

Chiclanagir

We made the mistake of telling the doctors we were leaving and getting our notes.

pwwm

I used to work for a group of GP's we were certainly notified if someone left the country , we had to return their notes to the local health authority.

pwwm