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Original poster

NHS Eligibility checks for 1 yr old baby born in the Uk

15 replies

JayFredVic · 15/10/2019 20:37

Hi,
Please forgive me if this is normal but I've had three children and never have dealt with anything like this.

My Brothers Girlfriend is a Polish National who has been living in the UK for a few years.

My Niece was born 10 months ago in London, She was premature (Mother had pre eclampsia, baby was born via csection at 30 wks) She needed approx 10 weeks stay in Hospital and various different treatments.

Today my Brother called to say he has received a letter from our local NHS Trust asking for identification to prove that my Niece is eligible for free NHS treatment.
Also adding that if she fails to provide the correct documentation her information would be handed over to the UK Boarder Agency.

I'm completely shocked.. Is this now standard procedure for anyone with a foreign sounding name?
Has anyone had any similar situations?

OP posts:

Brakebackcyclebot · 15/10/2019 20:39

Welcome to the UK post-Brexit.

Ylvamoon · 15/10/2019 20:43

Yep it's also known as the Alphabet Lottery.

SexTrainGlue · 15/10/2019 20:44

Yes, this has been standard for some time now. It's not related to Brexit (as the basic policy ante-dated the referendum by some time, and the assiduity of implementation has been rising since before then too)

The key thing is whether she can demonstrate entitlement. Is she having difficulties?

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Families

Northernlurker · 15/10/2019 20:45

Trusts have been legally mandated to check eligibility for a few years. This is done in a few ways, asking people as they present at clinics etc. It presumably isn't an issue for both your niece and sil to prove they were and are ordinarily resident in England so have eligibility for nhs treatment alongside your sils right to live here.

HelloCanYouHearMe · 15/10/2019 20:49

Excuse my naivety here, but why would a baby born in the UK and having lived here since birth (im assuming) not be entitled to NHS treatment?

MoltoAgitato · 15/10/2019 20:57

If your brother isn’t married, they won’t assume that your niece is a British citizen either. He needs to get that sorted pronto, is he named as the father on the birth certificate?

leghairdontcare · 15/10/2019 21:03

Agreed with pp that this is a pre-brexit hostile environment policy. Is your brother British? If so her birth certificate (assuming he's named?) and his passport should be proof that's she's a British citizen.

rosesarered9 · 15/10/2019 21:04

I was born in the UK, am a British citizen and have an English-sounding name, and for the past few years I have been asked to bring photo ID and proof of residency every time I go to a hospital appointment.

summedup · 15/10/2019 21:04

Nothing to do with Brexit.

I'm an EU national and needed to provide ID/residency documentation when I was pregnant to receive maternity care.

Just get her to provide the documentation? It's no big deal really!

MongerTruffle · 15/10/2019 21:04

And it's not citizenship that matters: it's where you live.

leghairdontcare · 15/10/2019 21:13

How does a 10m old prove where they live? Utility bill?

THNG5 · 15/10/2019 21:34

I got one of these letters the other day. I'm British but was born and brought up abroad (British parents). I moved to the UK in 2012, been working ever since, married a fellow brit, had 3 children but apparently now have to prove that I'm entitled to treatment. My NHS number falls in a category they are checking if over 20 apparently. The documents they want are laughable in my opinion as I'm failing to see how having a utility bill makes me a permanent resident.
Anyway, I don't have any actual tips for you unfortunately but it does seem to be becoming more common. People say Brexit has nothing to do with it but I can't understand how it's only now that I'm being questioned. Very coincidental.. Good luck.

Oldraver · 15/10/2019 21:36

Excuse my naivety here, but why would a baby born in the UK and having lived here since birth (im assuming) not be entitled to NHS treatment?

Being born and living in the UK doesn't automatically entitle you to UK citizenship

scaevola · 15/10/2019 21:53

"Being born and living in the UK doesn't automatically entitle you to UK citizenship"

Correct. However entitlement to NHS treatment free at point of use is not a matter of nationality, but if habitual residence. Which for an infant means demonstrating that the parent is legally long-term resident.

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 15/10/2019 22:05

I have just moved back to the UK and have two children who were not born here but have British nationality.
In order for them to receive NHS numbers and be eligible for treatment I had to give copies of birth certificates to the surgery, take all our passports in and take a utility bill showing proof of address.
You usually have a right to treatment if you have British citizenship and are ordinarily resident or will be but you have to pass the habitual residency test.
Your SIL should be able to easily prove she has been ordinarily resident if she has been working here - if living here as a spouse but not married and not working then she still had EU rights to be here but should be looking at getting hitched or making sure she has right to remain paperwork.
I won't be eligible for voting officially until December and no eye test until then either - that's the 3 month period - and I am lucky in that I have some savings and a home to go to or I would be fucked.
To have settled status iirc your SIL needs to have been her for five years. To show residency/intention to remain they look at your tenancy or mortgage, payslips, doctors, dentists, utilities and subscriptions and sometimes ask for bank statements.
My children were eligible straight away for eye tests etc as they are children...I am now on the books so to speak but have not been here for 3 months yet so not confirmed as ordinarily resident yet.

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