Originally Posted by Englishmum

We never told our GP that we were leaving the UK permanently, although did have some jabs just before leaving for Singapore but said it was on a temporary basis. Six months later in the Summer of 1995 when I was back in the UK on home leave I got pharyngitis and needed antibiotics so saw the local GP, using our address of our house in Essex (which was rented out - I spent a couple of nights with a friend in the village).

We've never needed to see a GP in England on our trips home, but never go back to the village anymore where we have our house as we no longer have any friends living there and our relatives live nowhere near the place. However, we've just tried to track down our medical records for Green Card applications and our GP's surgery said they had to send them to the Family Practitioner's Committee offices in another part of Essex. I spent ages trying to track them down as our surgery didn't have the contact details (plus the Health Authority changes the name on a regular basis - it's not called the FPA now!) and our records were returned to them at their request about five years ago.

I think either our tenants had returned mail from our GP (for check ups for smear tests etc.) as 'gone away' or the fact that we had never been to the surgery for a few years prompted a recall of our medical records.

Unfortunately our records are now in some kind of off-site long-term storage facility somewhere in Essex. I was informed that to get copies of our childhood immunisations, we have to write to our old GP's surgery and get one of the doctors to request our records. They will be retrieved and sent back to the FPA (or whatever it's now called) and then sent to the surgery.

The receptionist at the surgery had no idea what the charges would be to send us copies (not the originals) of our medical records, but it would take at least a month. We have no idea if our childhood jabs are still even on the medical records. I'm lucky - all I need is an MMR.

My husband has a terrible fear of jabs....he fainted when the INS authorised doctor at the clinic for our GC applications drew his blood....but the paperwork is at the desk of this doc and we don't fancy it staying there for so long in case it gets mislaid.... I think my husband will just have to have a set of jabs....anyone know what they will require if you don't have your medical records? We've already had the XRays as we've had the BCG jabs as teenagers. He took our word for it that we'd had chickenpox (I showed him my scars!).

Originally Posted by AmerLisa

I know they check now. My daughter, who has a thyroid condition (and for some reason gets free meds because of it) is usually always asked to see her card that entitles her to free meds.

Originally Posted by Partystar

In England?

Originally Posted by Ben

My mum has one of these too for her epilepsy medication in the UK.

Originally Posted by Partystar

Sorry, I was referring to the fact that Lisa lives here, I was wondering whether she was talking about her daughter getting free meds here or in England, as she's not resident in England (maybe her daughter is, I don't recall), I was confused.

Originally Posted by Partystar

They offered to run tests to confirm that I was immune to these, but it would have cost more money & then if some came back negative, I'd need them anyway, so I just had them, saving time & money. My GC medical came to $399 (exam, HIV test, 2 Chest X-ray films & 3 shots - DT, MMR & Varicella).

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

They used to live in the UK.

Originally Posted by Bob

Blimey...that's not cheap...though if you know your immune, it can be cheaper and easier to have the titre test to show your covered...

Originally Posted by Partystar

In England?

Originally Posted by Partystar

Sorry, I was referring to the fact that Lisa lives here, I was wondering whether she was talking about her daughter getting free meds here or in England, as she's not resident in England (maybe her daughter is, I don't recall), I was confused.

Originally Posted by Celsius

Doesn't Lisa have a daughter at university in the UK?

Originally Posted by Partystar

In England?

Originally Posted by AmerLisa

Yes

Originally Posted by Celsius

Doesn't Lisa have a daughter at university in the UK?