21 minutes ago, rvaviator said:

Please forgive me as I could be wrong on this - do you not have to stay for at least 6 months in UK before you are entitled to the NHS - irrespective of any NI paid - if you left the country ?


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I've heard 3 months and I've heard 6 months.

Not sure what's correct.

Doesn't that lady have a Vietnamese name?  Ngam Ngon

14 hours ago, overherebc said:

I've heard 3 months and I've heard 6 months.

Not sure what's correct.

It is a bit vague but it is my understanding that it is based on an intention to stay. I think the 3 months comes from an optimistic timeframe to get a routine hospital appointment. I made enquiries about registering with a GP and was told that would take from 4 to 6 weeks to get set up but that may depend on the surgery, so by the time you have managed to see the GP and picked up a referral it will be more than likely some months down the line.

Any emergency requirement is available immediately but routine medication is certainly a grey area and could be a problem in the early days, safest option there would be to have a couple of months stock on hand.

15 hours ago, rvaviator said:

Please forgive me as I could be wrong on this - do you not have to stay for at least 6 months in UK before you are entitled to the NHS - irrespective of any NI paid - if you left the country ?


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My reference to NI was against the term "sponging" used by another poster, rather than in respect to entitlement.

I don't think there is any set time limit, it is about residency and being registered with a GP.  Circumstances will come into it and could be more difficult if living with someone and not paying any bills as opposed to being in your own home, time may then become a factor.

I am not sure that if you have declared yourself non resident for tax purposes whether it would make any difference, doesn't apply to me so never considered it.

38 minutes ago, sandyf said:

It is a bit vague but it is my understanding that it is based on an intention to stay. I think the 3 months comes from an optimistic timeframe to get a routine hospital appointment. I made enquiries about registering with a GP and was told that would take from 4 to 6 weeks to get set up but that may depend on the surgery, so by the time you have managed to see the GP and picked up a referral it will be more than likely some months down the line.

Any emergency requirement is available immediately but routine medication is certainly a grey area and could be a problem in the early days, safest option there would be to have a couple of months stock on hand.

Fully agree with the emergency treatment as you say. We go to UK once a year and although my wife always buys insurance for herself I am 100% sure they wouldn't hold back treatment if we had a car accident or she broke a bone etc.

Time to get registered with a doctor etc sounds sensible too.

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

Fully agree with the emergency treatment as you say. We go to UK once a year and although my wife always buys insurance for herself I am 100% sure they wouldn't hold back treatment if we had a car accident or she broke a bone etc.

Time to get registered with a doctor etc sounds sensible too.

You are quite right in what you say, doctors are not the problem, it is the administration. We go every year, usually for 4 weeks and I get insurance for both of us, as much for the additions as the medical. Last year we got 14K baht from the insurance for baggage delay and damage.

May go for a bit longer next year and have another go with the doctor, problem is you have to be there when your records come through from the NHS as you get called in to see the GP.

If there is a question mark over foreign nationals, how on earth can there be one over UK citizens.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9374781/doctors-billing-foreign-nhs-patients-racist/

https://www.bma.org.uk/news/media-centre/press-releases/2019/april/bma-says-charging-regulations-for-overseas-patients-are-threatening-the-quality-of-nhs-care

Thousands of married couples are separated by UK immigration regulations.