Nhs Care On Visitor Visa

[madmin]

ok hi all just found out wife is pregnant 3 weeks ago and had to have scan due to problem

should she (and me) have to pay or is it covered by nhs

she is on 6 month visitor visa

[Lite Beer]

Assume you are in UK. Moved to here.

[madmin]

Assume you are in UK. Moved to here.

yes im british and live here in uk she thai and on visitor visa

also having problems registering her with gp for anti natal care

[VisasPlus]

This is the official rsponse to youyr query :

Visitors are not allowed to enter or stay in the United Kingdom to receive free medical treatment from the NHS. Except for treatment given in a hospital's accident and emergency department, you will be charged for any treatment you receive. You should ensure that you have enough medical insurance to cover your stay.

Your wife is entitled to emergency medical treatment only. If you don't pay, then you may get away with it, but please be aware that some agencies, NHS and UKBA included, do make enquiries into NHS abuse. It is a growing industry. If any abuse is detected then it may reflect badly on any future visa applications.

[theoldgit]

Your wifes visa will probably have been stamped "no recourse to public funds" that also means that as a visitor she is not entitled to free NHS treatment.

She can get emergency A&E treatment but anything further would have to be paid for, have a gander through this website, it might help http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074379

No doubt she took out travel insurance, would this cover her if it's not routine?

[antony77]

Your wifes visa will probably have been stamped "no recourse to public funds" that also means that as a visitor she is not entitled to free NHS treatment.

She can get emergency A&E treatment but anything further would have to be paid for, have a gander through this website, it might help http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074379

No doubt she took out travel insurance, would this cover her if it's not routine?

Travel insurance never covers pregnancy

[bigneilo]

Your wifes visa will probably have been stamped "no recourse to public funds" that also means that as a visitor she is not entitled to free NHS treatment.

She can get emergency A&E treatment but anything further would have to be paid for, have a gander through this website, it might help http://www.dh.gov.uk...sable/DH_074379

No doubt she took out travel insurance, would this cover her if it's not routine?

Travel insurance never covers pregnancy

You could argue it WAS an accident (condom broke...)

[theoldgit]

Travel insurance never covers pregnancy

That blanket statement is simply not true, some companies will cover pregnancy related conditions and some don't, especially in the later stages of pregancy and there will of course be conditions.

For instance direct travel insurance provide cover http://www.direct-travel.co.uk/faq/am-i-insured-to-travel-whilst-pregnant.aspx and I did ask if their insurance did cover them as it seemed to be a none routine issue.

[bangkockney]

Assume you are in UK. Moved to here.

yes im british and live here in uk she thai and on visitor visa

also having problems registering her with gp for anti natal care

You will not be able to register her with a GP as an NHS patient. In order to receive private medical care, technically, she would have to apply as a visitor to receive private medical treatment, which has additional requirements to a visit visa.

100% private births are around £10,000 in the UK (just the actual physical birth bit, not anti-natal, complications, extra scans, midwife check-ups etc).

You have two options in securing free NHS care: the settlement route or the student visa route.

However, as she is currently in the UK on a visit visa, she will have to leave the UK to change her visa class.

[bangkockney]

Your wifes visa will probably have been stamped "no recourse to public funds" that also means that as a visitor she is not entitled to free NHS treatment.

This isn't quite correct. Work-related benefits, healthcare and education are in fact not classed as public funds. Visa class / immigration status is the over-riding factor. The following are what is meant by "public funds":

• income-based jobseeker's allowance
• income support
• child tax credit
• working tax credit
• a social fund payment
• child benefit
• housing benefit
• council tax benefit
• state pension credit
• attendance allowance
• severe disablement allowance
• carer's allowance
• disability living allowance
• an allocation of local authority housing
• local authority homelessness assistance

This is why, for example, a full student visa will be stamped "no recourse..." but they are fully entitled to free NHS care.

Edited October 21, 2010 by bangkockney

[Thongkorn]

Your wifes visa will probably have been stamped "no recourse to public funds" that also means that as a visitor she is not entitled to free NHS treatment.

This isn't quite correct. Work-related benefits, healthcare and education are in fact not classed as public funds. Visa class / immigration status is the over-riding factor. The following are what is meant by "public funds":

• income-based jobseeker's allowance
• income support
• child tax credit
• working tax credit
• a social fund payment
• child benefit
• housing benefit
• council tax benefit
• state pension credit
• attendance allowance
• severe disablement allowance
• carer's allowance
• disability living allowance
• an allocation of local authority housing
• local authority homelessness assistance

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is why, for example, a full student visa will be stamped "no recourse..." but they are fully entitled to free NHS care.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry to beg to differ but they are not entitled to anything , they are visitors, Even people on settlement visa can be refused by doctors to add them to there surgery, NHS is not free and they wil get a bill , The doctors will treat emergence's cases , because they take an hypocritical oath.

[bangkockney]

Sorry to beg to differ but they are not entitled to anything , they are visitors, Even people on settlement visa can be refused by doctors to add them to there surgery, NHS is not free and they wil get a bill , The doctors will treat emergence's cases , because they take an hypocritical oath.

Who isn't entitled to anything? A full student visa is a type of limited leave to remain.

A GP can refuse to register a British Citizen as an NHS patient too so I'm not really sure what your point is.

PS It's hippocratic oath

Edited October 21, 2010 by bangkockney

[bangkockney]

Who isn't entitled to anything? A full student visa is a type of limited leave to remain.

A GP can refuse to register a British Citizen as an NHS patient too so I'm not really sure what your point is.

PS It's hippocratic oath

To enter is what I should have written.

[7by7]

The simple guide is:

If ones leave to enter/remain is valid for 6 months or less; basic emergency treatment only.

If one's leave to enter/remain is valid for more than 6 months; full NHS entitlement.

There are exceptions and variations, a fiance visa for example. The full details can be found by following the appropriate link on the Eligibility rules page of the Dept of Health website.

Individual GP's can refuse or accept new patients onto their list at their discretion. A GP refusing to register one does not mean that one is not entitled to NHS care.

[samran]

Your wifes visa will probably have been stamped "no recourse to public funds" that also means that as a visitor she is not entitled to free NHS treatment.

This isn't quite correct. Work-related benefits, healthcare and education are in fact not classed as public funds. Visa class / immigration status is the over-riding factor. The following are what is meant by "public funds":

• income-based jobseeker's allowance
• income support
• child tax credit
• working tax credit
• a social fund payment
• child benefit
• housing benefit
• council tax benefit
• state pension credit
• attendance allowance
• severe disablement allowance
• carer's allowance
• disability living allowance
• an allocation of local authority housing
• local authority homelessness assistance

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is why, for example, a full student visa will be stamped "no recourse..." but they are fully entitled to free NHS care.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry to beg to differ but they are not entitled to anything , they are visitors, Even people on settlement visa can be refused by doctors to add them to there surgery, NHS is not free and they wil get a bill , The doctors will treat emergence's cases , because they take an hypocritical oath.

Well, not quite again. While the OP's wife isn't entitled to anything by NHS emergency care as a Thai citizen, others, such as Australians and NZ'ers (who also get stamped in for 6 months with no recourse to public funds) have full access to the NHS due to reciprocal agreements between the countries.

[the scouser]

... anti-natal...

Surely one can't object to birth?

Do you mean ante-natal?

Scouse.

[bangkockney]

... anti-natal...

Surely one can't object to birth?

Do you mean ante-natal?

Scouse.

typo

Although I'm sure most women during labour become anti at one point or another!

"Just get it out, NOW!"

And, coincidently, there's a series in The Guardian entitled anti-natal, written by a pregnant columnist.

Edited October 23, 2010 by bangkockney

[sysardman]

Assume you are in UK. Moved to here.

yes im british and live here in uk she thai and on visitor visa

also having problems registering her with gp for anti natal care

I think she's entitled to as much free medical care as we farang get here in Thailand

[Rayongy]

I had an op on my balls for free in Thailand!!!!!!

[Thongkorn]

I had an op on my balls for free in Thailand!!!!!!

Yes but it only took two minutes::jap:

Edited October 25, 2010 by Thongkorn

[phaethon]

The doctors will treat emergence's cases , because they take an hypocritical oath.

PS It's hippocratic oath

I spent twenty years working in assorted UK medical schools and associated hospitals. Trust me, the first version is not wrong...

(PPS: Hippocratic is capitalized...)

My little friend got knocked up while on a visitor visa with her boyfriend, she got free NHS care (scans and other early prenatal checks) while there and, I presume, is now receiving it on her new settlement visa. That was the Channel Islands though where things are more relaxed.

There was a spate of 'Daily Mail-esque" stories a couple of years ago about how many foreigners were 'getting away' with free NHS care because no one ever checked their entitlement - knowing the NHS I can easily believe that most such cases were down to incompetence/neglect on the part of the booking staff. You might expect a tightening up on this front but, like most things NHS, once the spotlight is off things soon return to the previous state... it's quite Thai-ish really.

K.

Edited October 25, 2010 by phaethon

[VisasPlus]

There was a spate of 'Daily Mail-esque" stories a couple of years ago about how many foreigners were 'getting away' with free NHS care because no one ever checked their entitlement - knowing the NHS I can easily believe that most such cases were down to incompetence/neglect on the part of the booking staff. You might expect a tightening up on this front but, like most things NHS, once the spotlight is off things soon return to the previous state... it's quite Thai-ish really.

K.

Not entirely true. The matter is taken quite seriously now. Most of the immigration offices in airports and elsewhere now have units dealing specifically with NHS abuse. Quite large sums of money have been recovered from abusers of the system. The impetus is not only from the NHS to recover these funds.

[bangkockney]

To add to VisaPlus' comments above, claiming public funds illegitimately is a breach of your conditions of entry to the UK, and breaching your conditions of entry is a criminal offence. Ultimately it may mean that your leave to remain in the UK is revoked, and you may also have applications for further or indefinite leave rejected.

[bobrussell]

If you have someone staying with you on a visit visa a GP will not register them. They will sometimes see them but it can be a problem.

A good way round this for minor issues is to see if there is a drop in centre nearby. These are usually run by nurse practitioners and are available FOC even to visitors. They will refer more serious cases to the hospital or back to a GP if necessary.

Not the answer in all cases but for that nasty cold or flu can be a useful way to access some healthcare. Not the answer for ante (or anti!!!!) natal care though.

[the scouser]

NHS care is not listed as a public fund, so to have access to it, is not per se a breach of one's visitor immigration conditions. However, the NHS has its own rules about who can have free treatment and who can't.

If someone receives free treatment when not entitled, they can be made to pay it back as a pre-condition of being granted another visa.

Scouse.

[sysardman]

I had an op on my balls for free in Thailand!!!!!!

Yes but how much was it to re-attach them? (or maybe your wife/gf has some new earrings)

[citizen33]

I think the general thrust of the thread - that there is no entitlement to NHS treatment - is correct. However, the position isn't quite as clear cut as some are saying.

For example, overseas visitors are entitled to treatment for both emergencies and 'immediately necessary treatment' in primary care, and also for certain STDs and conditions with public health implications. Whether treatment is immediately necessary should not be determined by a receptionist but should be based on the judgement of a clinician.

My understanding is that, in practice, GPs still have discretion to treat visitors for a wider range of conditions if they wish to do so, though any free care will not extend to hospital referrals (other than for care in an A&E department). In all probability many NHS 'drop in' clinics or well women clinics will not charge. A visit to one of these or to a friendly GP for advice might be a good first move.

The British private health care sector is one of the most expensive in the world. However, a private arrangement with a sympathetic GP or via the NHS might not have such high costs.

Edited October 27, 2010 by citizen33