People living abroad but still using our NHS

My ex SIL came over from Australia and had to have treatment at a hospital close to where she lived over 30 years ago, she gave her name, they called up her old address and details on their computer system, she was treated and she went on her merry way.

I told her she was a disgrace and she should have told them that she no longer lived in the U.K. , but she just shrugged.

I suppose there is no way of telling the Hospital that people who move abroad should be taken off of their system.

It's not just immigrants who get treatment without paying.

I know someone who is British, but moved abroad (Europe) in her 20s when she married. She didn't work. Anyway, the marriage failed after many years and my friend moved back to the UK in her 60s. She thought she'd be entitled to a pension (although she didn't get one as she hasn't contributed), but she does get healthcare on the NHS. This is fair enough (although she hasn't contributed to that either) as she is a UK citizen and lives here. What really annoys me is that she constantly complains about the standard of care in the NHS, which she is getting free, when the rest of us have paid via contributions. She goes back to her old country to get private care, which is cheaper than here, and then comes back to the UK for follow-up care, moaning at the fact that she 'has to' go to the trouble and expense of travel, as the NHS is below par.

HousePlantQueen

^I know of a midwife who worked in a Manchester hospital who left her job in the end because of the never ending trail of pregnant women who flew in just to have their babies for free^

Highly unlikely as airlines will not allow pregnant women beyond a certain stage of their pregnancy to fly. Also, how did this mythical midwife know the women were from overseas? Was is because they didn't speak fluent English or god forbid had brown skin? Sorry to go off at a slight tangent, but it really annoys me when a chinese whisper is repeated as gospel.

Why is she a 'mythical' midwife? Poppyred says she knows her or knows of her. She is not mythical.

Apart from emergency treatment, most immigrants, until they have Indefinite Leave to Remain, do not get free healthcare.

Since 2015, they pay a Health Surcharge. Obviously this did not apply to EU residents, but does now, I believe.

From the NHS website:

‘The standard surcharge fee is:

£470 per year per person for students and each of their dependants
£624 per year per person for everyone else

The full amount will be paid upfront for the duration of your visa’

Health tourism accounts for 0.3% of the NHS budget, and is primarily British emigrants returning for treatment (to which they are not entitled. Returning to live here restores entitlement). That 0.3% figure does not include recouped costs (which are chargeable at 150%) so will, in practice, be lower. Source: Keep Our NHS public, using government figures.

Doodledog

It's not just immigrants who get treatment without paying.

I know someone who is British, but moved abroad (Europe) in her 20s when she married. She didn't work. Anyway, the marriage failed after many years and my friend moved back to the UK in her 60s. She thought she'd be entitled to a pension (although she didn't get one as she hasn't contributed), but she does get healthcare on the NHS. This is fair enough (although she hasn't contributed to that either) as she is a UK citizen and lives here. What really annoys me is that she constantly complains about the standard of care in the NHS, which she is getting free, when the rest of us have paid via contributions. She goes back to her old country to get private care, which is cheaper than here, and then comes back to the UK for follow-up care, moaning at the fact that she 'has to' go to the trouble and expense of travel, as the NHS is below par.

It’s interesting what you say about your friend on the pension. My best friend lived out of this country for 26 years and yet she still gets nearly as much pension as I do because she gets a minimum pension but it is topped up with pension credit. I had 45 years contributions and I just don’t think it’s fair…

It's not. I'm not sure if my friend will get a basic pension when she hits 67. She was out of the country for nearly 40 years though and didn't pay in in her host country. Maybe if your friend did, and there was a reciprocal arrangement, that will entitle her to one here? When we were in the EU that was the case, I think.

grandtanteJE65

Are you sure these people are not paying some Income tax and social security in the UK?

I am asking, because my parents moved to Denmark (my mother's country of birth) when my father retired. Both paid Income tax on their British pensions, and Income tax in Denmark - they were thus entitled to part of their medical expenses in Denmark being covered by the Danish Health Service and part by the British, when as they usually were they were treated here in Denmark.

If they are not paying any taxes in the UK I agree this is a fiddle that should be stopped, but they may be being taxed in two countries.

It doesn't matter grandtante. The rules state that people must be ordinarily resident in the UK.

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/visiting-or-moving-to-england/moving-to-england-from-eu-countries-or-norway-iceland-liectenstein-or-switzerland/

If you leave the country for more than three months, you're supposed to deregister with your GP.

Chestnut

We are a National Health Service not an International Health Service so it is definitely wrong for people to come here from abroad and receive free treatment. I remember Farage saying as much some years ago and everyone tut tutting that he could be so heartless! What nonsense, and now we are reaping the rewards of being such a soft touch. UK citizens are unable to access treatments they are entitled to.

Of course it’s wrong but if a plan for those from overseas to pay upfront had been introduced long before now, it wouldn’t be such an issue.There just hasn’t been the will to do it from all political parties in the past.Will this change? I hope so.

My Conservative MP, Kemi Badenoch (who is one of the new PM hopefuls), once admitted that her mother flew from Nigeria to London, so that Kemi could be born in the UK. At the time, it also made her eligible for British nationality. The mother flew straight back to Nigeria, where Kemi lived (apart from a spell in the US) until she was 16.

A number of friends have written to her in recent months about asylum seekers and refugees, but all she ever does is parrot the government line. I actually think she and Priti Patel are joined at the hip.

Hypocritical or what?

If you are in receipt of a British state pension but live abroad you are entitled to use the NHS.

When we lived in Spain we never used the NHS as the Spanish health service was far superior.

Every time I go to a hospital appointment, I have to answer the question "Are you ordinarily resident/or do you normally live in the UK?" Presumably some people just lie.

Framilode

If you are in receipt of a British state pension but live abroad you are entitled to use the NHS.

When we lived in Spain we never used the NHS as the Spanish health service was far superior.

I don't think so.

Zonne Mon 11-Jul-22 16:04:00
Apart from emergency treatment, most immigrants, until they have Indefinite Leave to Remain, do not get free healthcare.

Oh yes they do.
I know that 100%

nhsbsa-live.powerappsportals.com/knowledgebase/article/KA-01285/en-us

sharon103

Zonne Mon 11-Jul-22 16:04:00
Apart from emergency treatment, most immigrants, until they have Indefinite Leave to Remain, do not get free healthcare.

Oh yes they do.
I know that 100%

Oh no they don't!

Please see my post of 11.49 growstuff. As state pensioners and holders of S1 forms we are entitled to use the NHS when in the UK. When we are in our European country of residence the UK pays an annual sum for our health cover.

Link here:
faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-26747/en-us

Doodledog

It's not. I'm not sure if my friend will get a basic pension when she hits 67. She was out of the country for nearly 40 years though and didn't pay in in her host country. Maybe if your friend did, and there was a reciprocal arrangement, that will entitle her to one here? When we were in the EU that was the case, I think.

She was in the United States and Costa Rica..

As an Health care professional I'm part of a team who run Pacemaker clinics. We clearly know we have patients who are living abroad.
We have a responsibility to ensure they are safe, however if we are aware they live overseas, we now have to inform, our admin team who action some form of notification as they have no GP.
Not sure of the process but it is getting notified.

Not that long ago a chap had his ICD ( internal Cardiac Defibrillator) go off.
He couldn't get anyone to check it, he was living most of the year aboard , so he decided to fly back to the UK to see us, on a 10 hour flight.
Normally you need to present yourself at a Hospital ASAP , this is serious stuff, he was lucky he made it back, safe.
When he arrived he stayed with his Son, and used that address.

We did feel sorry for the Aircrew, if it had gone off again? Outcome might have been good.

One way for the NHS to find out who is resident or not is to be shown a passport, a 3 month old electricity bill and last tax form with the patient’s name and address on it, like they ask for in France.

The Overseas Health team in Newcastle who issue the S1 forms say that we must carry our forms when in the UK and if any medical professional or hospital argues that we are not entitled to treatment, we should tell them to ring Newcastle who will explain that we are.

Mamie. Just asking, does this included prescriptions?

You pay all of those things at the same rate as a UK resident of the same age Mokryna.
In practice, I wouldn't dream of having treatment in the UK except in an emergency. I don't know how it would work without a GP.
I can't think that the diminishing band of UK pensioners in Europe who would actually want treatment in the UK is going to bring the NHS to its knees.

I've paid into the French system for years so its never crossed
my mind to use the NHS infact having taken my Mother to
hospital in England(she lived there')I was really shocked at the low standard.
British retirees in France can also qualify for free French medical care depending on their revenues or they can pay
into the system.
I think this is yet another anti EU myth. I've live here a long
time and don't know any Brit using the NHS

Exactly ^Mamie*.
@ Ruthie can you tell us which non- France country you were referring to?
It's obviously a very important topic.