I live in the KOK with my wife who is Indonesian and our daughter who has a British passport. We will be visiting the UK for three weeks at Christmas and I am concerned about health care care for my wife and child when we visit. Are they both eligible for health care if they should need it? Do I need to fill out some forms and also does anyone know how I get an NHS number for my daughter.

Should I be looking for health insurance????????

Many thanks in advance.

Ian

Entitlement to Health care under the British NHS is based up residence. To receive care under the NHS you would have to be registered with a doctor and to do that you need both an address in the catchment area and find a doctor with space on the books to register you (increasingly difficult).

So as a visitor, you should have insurance, but I doubt that you would be refused care if it was an emergency.

My advice would be take out an insurance.

Guesthouse is correct.

You will be fine for EMERGENCY healthcare, they won't let anyone die. Just go to the nearest hospital A&E unit. UK hospitals never turn the sick away, they treat first and ask questions later.

Basic insurance will certainly do no harm, make sure it covers repatriation in the event of the worst happening.

The residence requirement is to prevent health tourists using the NHS meagre resources to obtain free treatment for non-emergencies.

I am presumably still registered with my old doctor, although I haven't seen her for 6 years. When I go home this xmas maybe I should take my kid to the doc and register her, then for subsequent visits she would be covered. Is this cheating the system? She is a British citizen. If I get sick and go to the doc, am I cheating the system as I don't live there anymore?

I wonder if I should get all my teeth done too. Only joking tax.