Health tourist?

My ex mother in law has had a lot of cardiac surgery performed and she travels from Spain and stays with one of her "children" in England- this is fraudulent- she chose to live in Spain why not be treated there?

The ex mother in law before her developed pancreatic cancer, hopped omn a plane and was treated but died in England. Three ex mother in laws- was not I lucky?

I do not think I would tell people that, Meercat. I am sure she could have been treated here if she had paid.
She was probably one of those people who criticises economic migrants, too.

What realla does rile me, is the multi millionaires I know, foreign but who have lived in the UK for decades as non-doms- and have NHS treatment!!!

Stangran I think this happens a lot. I had a friend who retired to another country telling all and sundry that this country had gone to the dogs. When her cancer returned she came back to the UK for treatment having not told her GP or consultant that she was no longer resident here. I think she gave someone else's address. She was treated at the Royal Marsden and received all prescriptions, food supplements and sun creams free as well of course as the radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

I had very mixed feeling about this as she has spent all of her working life in this country and contributed accordingly. However, she chose to live elsewhere and chose to be a taxpayer in that country because it was financially beneficial to her.

As you say it was fraudulent but in her case it was also highly hypocritical.

Indeed- I imagine the fraud and cost re. expats living abroad and coming back for NHS treatment and drugs is huge - but considered quite ok by those who perpetrate it. We actually have an official address in the UK, as we have kept a small flat there- but it is not our main residence and we no longer pay tax in the UK, so are not entitled to NHS anymore (despite paying all our lives towards it, and despite OH having dedicated his life to the NHS).

Sometime ago I was shouted down as I mentioned that I had met several people in the Royal Marsden who travelled to the Uk for chemo or transfusions . They would use a family members address for correspondence or even just a friend. Several had the hospital paying for their transport back to the relatives home and were quite open about this to others in the ward and in front of the nursing staff. It is dishonest but until we have the same scrutiny as you would get in the rest of the world people will abuse the system. I was very shocked at the dishonesty but also the disbelief on Gransnet.

Good news for him- let's hope. Any more news of the little girl?

On an aside, when you move abroad, the law requires you to deregister from your GP. Your GP continues to be paid (a pitance, but even so) if you stay on his/her register, and yet you are no longer entitled to treatment. The system does rely on some honesty, I still have a valid NHS card for free prescriptions and medicines, but I would not dream of using it, as it would be fraudulent. If I need anything I can't get here, I will get and pay for a private prescription.

I think he has returned to his own country as they have adequate if not better facilities to treat him.

Anyone heard any more about the Albanian man who was going to be deported after they had discovered a brain tumour? He seems to have disappeared off the radar.

I wouldn't die quietly just because someone decided that it was too expensive to save my life.

I'd make as much fuss as possible. Get in the papers/on the TV. Try to find out who makes the decisions. I might still die but I wouldn't go down without a fight.

We are British, on UK pensions, but as we live abroad, no longer entitled to NHS treatment- we both have NI numbers- but that does not give us entitlement to NHS treatment (unless as an emergency as per EU/EHIC regs).

Cynical me says as it's in the Daily Hatemail there could be another side to this. I agree rosesarered, probably far less black and white than as reported.

Rules are rules and they have to be ( think of the chaos and also the financial implication otherwise)but sometimes, depending on circumstances, exceptions are allowed.Perhaps this case is not as straightforward as it purports to be.

vampirequeen if I couldn't pay for the treatment myself (which given my circumstances I wouldn't be able to) I would have to accept the rules what else could I do.

If she lived in the UK with her father I don't see how he could serve in the Royal Navy. Who would look after her whilst he's at sea? So it would seem that she lives with her grandparents which allows him to serve this country and pay his dues.

I suppose he buy himself out the navy, go on the dole, bring his daughter over and, because she now lived in the UK, she could receive treatment. Of course it means that he'd no longer be paying into the system but it seems he's being penalised for doing so.

Magpie, do you always go with the rules are rules line? What if you or someone close to you needed a medication that NICE acknowledges would save your life but refuses to allow? Would you simply accept it as rules are rules or complain that you had paid into the system but now were being prevented from having treatment that would save your life?

I have great sympathy for this girl and, given her father's service to UK, perhaps an exception should be made in her case, however, it is a fact that many people come to the UK to use the NHS and this must be stopped. As long as UK subjects are being denied treatment through lack of funds we have to stop people coming here for treatment.

We all have a NI number, perhaps we should use this or be issued with a NHS number/card which has to be produced in order to receive treatment

It seems as if we have become a victim of our kind nature, doesn't it, in lots of areas?

Magpie has simply stated the view that this country takes, when laying out for medical treatment for anyone not a British citizen living here, paying taxes etc.Now that this case has been highlighted by the media, it may be looked into by Government depts. the Father's M.P. Or anyone else.Sometimes cases are looked on favourably, even if the person has no legal right to it.

And another, a school friend of my GS, who has Duchennes distrophy (they were featured on the One Show a couple of days ago)- for which there is no treatment available, and little research done due to lack of funding. The father is currently doing a triathlon, carrying or pulling his 9 year old child along- to raise funds for research.

I know of a 19 year old boy with a degenerative condition of the spine who is in great pain and being denied treatment because of funding.

Given the state of affairs in the NHS the sad fact is that to give treatment to one person often means denying it to another.

mcem seems to me the only one ranting is you.

This is very hard- and it does totally lack in compassion, and it would be inhumane to fly the child back.

And yet, DH is British and has contributed for the whole of his career, both in taxes and with very hard work and long hours dedicated to the NHS. I am British since 1972- and also contributed all my adult life, both in taxes and as a teacher in the State system. And yet, now we live abroad, despite having a flat and an address in the UK, we are no longer entitled to use the NHS in any way shape or form. There must be 100s of 1000s of relatives of British citizens who live abroad who are not entitled to NHS treatment, despite being desperately in need. So where does the Gvt draw the line- anyone who flies here and gets here gets treatment, whatever the cost? I know there would be an uproar if that happened, and open the flood gates- especially at the time of heavy cuts and privatisation, etc.

I am not prepared to let this degenerate but would point out that your use of 'some' (plural) would imply that in fact your remarks were addressed to more than one poster.
I am well aware that I am not the only one who has been on the receiving end of your
rants comments.
Given that I often find your posts verge on incomprehensible (both morally and grammatically) I shall endeavour to avoid them in future.
I have no doubt that others will continue to disagree with you without any help from me!

I have no sway if this poor girl gets treatment or not, I was just stating the facts, she is not a British citizen and because of this she is not entitled to free treatment on the NHS and we are not a world wide open to all national health service. I didn't make the rules.

Perhaps some kind person will pay her medical costs for her.

mcem I was referring to you only actually.