Back to UK for health treatment..

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, blackprince said:

The link below is from the USA but there are plenty of others.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/02/health/tuberculosis-us-airways/index.html

Yes, plenty of others confirming how low the risk is.  From your own link...

 

"...health officials are not recommending passengers on the plane seek medical care because their risk of being infected with tuberculosis is "very, very low," said Dr. Rebecca Sunshine, disease control director for Maricopa County Public Health.   To put this in perspective... We're much more concerned that the passengers on this flight contracted influenza than that they contracted TB," she said".

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Oblomov said:

UK health service, which now has a waiting list of 6 million +  people who are tax payers and residents in UK, so instead of idiotic comments like yours, have a bit of sense and ask yourself why someone should fly in for treatment, after no contributions for 30 years

Why shouldn't he?   The OP has paid NIC for many years before coming here.  Do UK resident citizens who stop paying NIC and income tax in the UK lose their right to NHS treatment?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, blackprince said:

"The NHS is a residence-based healthcare system, so British expats aren’t automatically entitled to medical treatment. It’s worth noting that you must have private medical insurance to cover you, as if you don’t you will face a charge at 150% of the NHS national tariff for any care you receive."

 

Them's the rules.

 

 

https://www.thefrygroup.co.uk/insights/are-british-expats-entitled-to-nhs-treatment/

Them's part of the rules.  There's a lot more to the rules than you conveniently quoted!

[theoldgit]

3 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

What a load of tosh. Fly into the UK, UK citizen or not, and go to your nearest hospital emergency department and you will be treated free of charge. Them's the rules.

Not a load of tosh at all, whilst anyone can get treatment at an NHS Casualty Dept in the case of an emergency, it’s highly unlikely that if somebody suffered a major trauma or a heart attack in Thailand that they would be in a position to fly to the UK for free treatment, even if a carrier would fly them.

 

Those with ongoing health conditions, unlike the condition the OP sadly has, would not receive ongoing treatment in a Casualty Department and would be charged for the full cost of treatment, plus 50%.

 

Did you actually read the Government guidelines?

 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

To go on a plane with active TB is crazy.

"...health officials are not recommending passengers on the plane seek medical care because their risk of being infected with tuberculosis is "very, very low," said Dr. Rebecca Sunshine, disease control director for Maricopa County Public Health.  To put this in perspective... We're much more concerned that the passengers on this flight contracted influenza than that they contracted TB," she said".    https://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/02/health/tuberculosis-us-airways/index.html

 

 

"According to the WHO, no active TB case has been identified due to exposure on a commercial aircraft so far. This is because airplanes are built with HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter systems on board which kill germs when air is circulated in the aircraft. Travellers can rest assured that under normal conditions, cabin air is cleaner than the air in most buildings".

https://www.iamat.org/travel-and-tuberculosis

[poohy]

4 hours ago, Oblomov said:

So you've paid ZERO in National Insurance for 30 years yet you want to fly over and get free treatment? And they say migrants are a drain on resources - they work (on low wages) and pay NI and taxes - get your treatment in Thailand where you live 

The UK hospitals will not charge  they do not have time or staff or inclination

Sister works for NHS hospital

 

I am going back next year to do similar

[Sheryl]

An unhelpful post has been removed.

 

OP, it is certainly quite possible to get good quality care for both TB and diabetes here in Thailand. If anything doctors here have more experience/expertise in treating TB than they do in the UK as more common here.

 

TB meds do indeed have nasty side effects and there is no magic solution to that. Though some side effects like nausea can be managed with meds that give symptomatic relief.

 

You did not necessarily get it from a local - you might have been exposed to the TB bacilli as a child. It is common for TB to stay latent until a later and usually older age when the immune system starts to weaken. TB was not at all uncommon in the UK in  the 1950's.

 

 

[Chris.B]

2 hours ago, Oblomov said:

Members of our family and friends work in the struggling UK health service, which now has a waiting list of 6 million +  people who are tax payers and residents in UK, so instead of idiotic comments like yours, have a bit of sense and ask yourself why someone should fly in for treatment, after no contributions for 30 years - No doubt you think the magic money tree applies to health services. Idiotic argument 

Well the NHS sees fit to provide health services to virtually everyone else, be it illegal immigrants , "asylum seekers", health tourists, animal charity "workers" from Afghanistan, dinghy boat people from across the channel and the Afghan women's football team. So why can't they provide services to British people who live overseas as well? Especially those who have retired there.

 

[Oblomov]

2 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

But if it's deemed an emergency you will be treated free of charge.

If it's an emergency then better to go to a hospital nearby than fly half way around the world don't you think 

[theoldgit]

4 minutes ago, poohy said:

The UK hospitals will not charge  they do not have time or staff or inclination

Sister works for NHS hospital

 

I am going back next year to do similar

Good to hear that your sister works for a hospital that doesn’t apply the current legislation.

 

I hope your plans to circumnavigate the published and well reported rules work out for you.

[Chris.B]

1 minute ago, Oblomov said:

If it's an emergency then better to go to a hospital nearby than fly half way around the world don't you think 

He has, you need to read the Op's post.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Changed my mind - delete

 

 

 

[Chris.B]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

Those with ongoing health conditions, unlike the condition the OP sadly has, would not receive ongoing treatment in a Casualty Department and would be charged for the full cost of treatment, plus 50%.

 

 

How will the NHS enforce payment?

[simple1]

9 hours ago, blackprince said:

when he reveals he's knowingly flown around the world with TB

Air travel with TB policy...

 

https://www.who.int/tb/publications/2006/who_htm_tb_2006_363.pdf

[flossie35]

The rules were changed a couple of years ago to exclude citizens residing abroad from the NHS. You now have to pay costs + 50%. I was caught early on - GBP 4000+ for a gastric ulcer. According to J Hunt your tax and NI payments are "irrelevant".

Apart from that the NHS has been seriously run down financially, and had lost a lot of staff from brexit. There are long waiting lists for treatment.

There are good hospitals in Thailand, and they're less expensive.

 

[Scouse123]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Good luck OP,

I'd just go back and not mention ever being outside the UK.

They probably won't ask if you don't volunteer the information. 

 

TB can be hard to treat, you might be back there for a long time.

I think your information is wrong.

 

I have just visited my GP after two years and they wanted to know where I had been and why I hadn't responded to requests to contact the surgery for seasonal Flu jabs et

 

I pay taxes in UK and have houses. They made me go for blood tests etc before issuing me a prescription. I also am now registered online through the NHS app on my smartphone.

 

The UK has changed quite a lot regarding NHS, and its a hell of a job to get a face to face appointment even if you are a UK resident!

 

I don't know the circumstances of the OP but if he thinks he'll just nip back for treatment just because he is British, it won't work that way.

 

As others have said, you must permanently move back and provide registered address and phone contact to be entitled to NHS care.

[roo860]

12 minutes ago, flossie35 said:

The rules were changed a couple of years ago to exclude citizens residing abroad from the NHS. You now have to pay costs + 50%. I was caught early on - GBP 4000+ for a gastric ulcer. According to J Hunt your tax and NI payments are "irrelevant".

Apart from that the NHS has been seriously run down financially, and had lost a lot of staff from brexit. There are long waiting lists for treatment.

There are good hospitals in Thailand, and they're less expensive.

 

Not suprised the NHS is run down financially when they recently advertised for Diversity Managers, offering mega bucks!  

[4737 Carlin]

13 hours ago, Oblomov said:

And they say migrants are a drain on resources - they work (on low wages) and pay NI and taxes

????????

[hotandsticky]

26 minutes ago, flossie35 said:

The rules were changed a couple of years ago to exclude citizens residing abroad from the NHS. You now have to pay costs + 50%. I was caught early on - GBP 4000+ for a gastric ulcer. According to J Hunt your tax and NI payments are "irrelevant".

Apart from that the NHS has been seriously run down financially, and had lost a lot of staff from brexit. There are long waiting lists for treatment.

There are good hospitals in Thailand, and they're less expensive.

 

 

I went back 2 years ago for a hernia op.

 

No issues getting that sorted.

[RAZZELL]

What the rules are and what happens in reality are two different things.

 

The legend that is Brian Jacks has posted how he went back to the UK for treatment (heart surgery) and he has lived in Pattaya for about 20 years.

 

https://pattayaone.news/pattaya-ex-pat-and-british-sporting-legend-brian-jacks-pledges-his-support-to-front-line-workers/

 

RAZZ

[clivebaxter]

12 hours ago, Oblomov said:

Members of our family and friends work in the struggling UK health service, which now has a waiting list of 6 million +  people who are tax payers and residents in UK, so instead of idiotic comments like yours, have a bit of sense and ask yourself why someone should fly in for treatment, after no contributions for 30 years - No doubt you think the magic money tree applies to health services. Idiotic argument 

When so called asylum seekers and illegal immigrants get free health care why should a citizen who paid into the system be treated differently?

[theoldgit]

27 minutes ago, flossie35 said:

The rules were changed a couple of years ago to exclude citizens residing abroad from the NHS. You now have to pay costs + 50%. I was caught early on - GBP 4000+ for a gastric ulcer. According to J Hunt your tax and NI payments are "irrelevant".

Apart from that the NHS has been seriously run down financially, and had lost a lot of staff from brexit. There are long waiting lists for treatment.

There are good hospitals in Thailand, and they're less expensive.

 

 

There used to be a concession that Expat UK State Pensioners could receive ongoing NHS treatment when they were taken ill in the UK, this was withdrawn during the Cameron/Clegg Coalition Government, and Jeremy Hunt subsequently introduced the charging legislation, to much applause from the Daily Mail and Sun readers.

 

I wrote to the Secretary of State at the time, as I'm sure many of us did, calling foul, I was advised that the NHS is funded by general taxation, with the NI payments funding benefits. I responded saying I was aware of that and that's why I didn't mention it in my submission, adding that I paid thousands of pounds a year in tax so I was in part funding the NHS, they responded that they would put my views forward to the policy department, I knew that would be the end of it. 

[heybuz]

9 hours ago, Sheryl said:

An unhelpful post has been removed.

 

OP, it is certainly quite possible to get good quality care for both TB and diabetes here in Thailand. If anything doctors here have more experience/expertise in treating TB than they do in the UK as more common here.

 

TB meds do indeed have nasty side effects and there is no magic solution to that. Though some side effects like nausea can be managed with meds that give symptomatic relief.

 

You did not necessarily get it from a local - you might have been exposed to the TB bacilli as a child. It is common for TB to stay latent until a later and usually older age when the immune system starts to weaken. TB was not at all uncommon in the UK in  the 1950's.

 

 

pigs are also carriers of tb,whether it can be transmitted when eaten Im unsure but in my home country wild pigs are exterminated for this reason.

 

[theoldgit]

12 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

I went back 2 years ago for a hernia op.

 

No issues getting that sorted.

 

Some people manage to flout the charging legislation, many others don't, there have been numerous members posting on TV over the years stating that they've been charged in the UK for treatment.

[Expat68]

13 hours ago, Worldplus said:

Well..  I presume I am covered by UK healthcare...not lived in UK for 30 yrs..

 

I am British with a UK passport..

Thought you had to live in the UK for 3 months on returning before receiving free health care in the UK. Just something I heard

[bojo]

13 hours ago, Worldplus said:

Last December I caught TB... I was shocked and after 12 mths I'm on 18 tabs a day and feeling <deleted>...

 

My blood sugar too is up and down and taking meds for that.. I've lost 18kgs this year...I'm 63.. 

 

I'm thinking of going back to UK for proper treatment..

 

What's the implications for leaving Thailand and say 2 or 3ths coming back...I've had 2 covid jabs and got a certificate..

 

TIA

You're sounding like you need help/ a reset and for whatever reason you don't wanna get treated in Thailand. Perhaps it's financial or you juust wanna be treated by your own, I get that....But if you have the money to fly home, then you could get treated in hospital in the Kingdom IMO and as Sheryl pounts out, they vare very experienced in doing so with TB.......................................................it's a fact you do officially need to be 'ordinarily resident' in the Uk for free NHS treatment and I'm sure as Black Prince highlighted , you can or might get billed for 150% of costs, but as Britman (who by his own admission, is happy to lie to the government!) says, you will get treated............................................................Another poster advises to state that you are homeless, this is also an angle.................................................................................So, really it all depends on how much front you've got. I know of a couple of  expats who have lived abroad for many years and most certainly haven't been 'ordinarily resident' but have been fixed for serious conditions by just going back and going to hospital.............You will be seen if you go into A and E and you will be treated and if you don't have any money or assets in the UK, they can bill you all they like and that's gonna the end of it......................Or you could do the right thing and move back home, register with a GP and go through the proper channels, perhaps get a P/T job and reinstate your tax status and whatever pension you may have as well).....................get treated.......................keep an address in the UK after and return should you so wish.......................

[theoldgit]

8 hours ago, Chris.B said:

How will the NHS enforce payment?

 

I have absolutely no idea, maybe you could read their guidlines and report back, but the intructions are very clear.

 

The Charging Regulations place a legal obligation on providers of 'relevant services' (which means accommodation, services or facilities which are provided, or whose provision is arranged, under the National Health Service Act 2006, other than primary medical, dental or ophthalmic services) to establish whether a person is an overseas visitor to whom charges apply, or whether they are exempt from charges.

 

When charges apply, a relevant body must make and recover charges from the person liable to pay for the NHS services provided to the overseas visitor.
 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/742251/guidance-on-implementing-the-overseas-visitor-charging-regulations-may-2018.pdf

 

 

[theoldgit]

4 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

Thought you had to live in the UK for 3 months on returning before receiving free health care in the UK. Just something I heard

 

No, if you return to the UK to live on a permanent basis, and can prove it, you're covered from day one.

[IvorBiggun2]

17 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

there have been numerous members posting on TV over the years stating that they've been charged in the UK for treatment.

Therefore it must be true as TV members don't lie.. As I've stated before. My Thai wife believed she had a fishbone stuck in her throat whilst we were visiting a couple of years ago. We went to the emergency at an hospital, no bone found, I asked for a bill but we were told 'no charge'. Now that is true.

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, blackprince said:

"The NHS is a residence-based healthcare system, so British expats aren’t automatically entitled to medical treatment. It’s worth noting that you must have private medical insurance to cover you, as if you don’t you will face a charge at 150% of the NHS national tariff for any care you receive."

 

Them's the rules.

 

 

https://www.thefrygroup.co.uk/insights/are-british-expats-entitled-to-nhs-treatment/

 

 

The rules are full of holes.

"If you’re a British expat living overseas permanently, you won’t generally be entitled to access NHS treatment"

How many British expats in Thailand are "permanent residents"?

What does "generally" mean?

Why does paying income tax to fund the NHS get ignored?

Where is Gina Miller when you need her?