Are British expats (live in Oz) entitled to NHS when visiting UK?

[Pedestriancrossing]

Really hoping someone can point me to the answer as this is stressing me out.
My elderly PILs emigrated from UK to Australia 20 years ago. We have a family wedding coming up here in the uk and they will be coming over and staying with us for 6 weeks. Neither is in very good health and MIL has limited mobility, is no opiate painkillers and early stages of dementia.
My question is, would they be able to access NHS services (in England) for free? Or would they be charged?
Obviously neither has a GP.
I doubt they have taken out travel insurance due to cost, and are probably assuming they have free access to the aNHS (as they are British and lived in UK for many years, paid NI etc)
DHs family never talk about anything serious so the question over insurance hasn't been asked, and won't be.
Please can someone advise on what would happen if they needed hospital care while visiting?
Thank you

Australia and the U.K. have reciprocal agreements so yes they can access healthcare. My son had a fairly serious eye infection in the U.K. once when we were over from Aus and it was treated in a U.K. hospital with no drama at all and no costs involved.

They’re migrants not “ex-pats” and no longer residents of the UK so they’d be subject to whatever reciprocal relationship there is between Medicare and the NHS.

They shouldn’t be travelling without very good health insurance.

When I worked in a large central London hospital, admittedly a few years back, we had a foreign patient office who definitely chased people. Certainly not always successfully, though.

Basically, people know what you tell them. If your PiL go to hospital and can give an address in the UK and 'seem to be Brits' they are unlikely to be challenged. There is no requirement to have a GP either, so they can't be ruled out on that basis alone. If your PiL really think they're entitled to NHS treatment because they were born/lived here etc, you can bet your bottom dollar they'll blurt it out to someone and that'll kick it all off.

But it is beyond daft for them to travel without being properly insured. I've known people taken off flights and ships in HK and Singapore on the way from the Antipodes to the UK. Really, really not worth the risk.

If they have health problems, can they even get travel insurance?

There is a reciprocal Medicare arrangement.

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/reciprocal-health-care-agreement-visiting-united-kingdom?context=22481#a1

Which won’t help if you take ill in Dubai. Or Singapore. Or die over here presumably.

@drpet49 and the one I work at.

"I would make sure first that they definitely don't have travel insurance. If they do and you buy a policy neither will want to be the one who pays out."

You also need to have the right info to get insurance for someone else. My own mother put the wrong age down for me once.

I thought there was a reciprocal agreement in place that provides free health care. It means that Brits get free emergency health care in Aus and they get it here. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-reciprocal-healthcare-agreements-with-non-eu-countries#australia

@Leftinlimbo yes. But not free healthcare in Singapore / Hong Kong / Dubai / wherever your stop over is. And they won’t pay to medically repatriate you back to Oz. Or for a million and one other things you might need!

OK so quick update.
DH finally spoke to them.
They do have travel insurance - phew - not sure on accuracy or completeness of medical info provided but at least they have something in place.
That said they remain convinced that they are entitled to NHS care but this isn't really an issue as under a reciprocal arrangement (as pointed out by various PPs) between UK and Australia, their Medicare entitlement gives access to NHS services - which is a massive relief. They just need to show Australian passport and Medicare card if the need arises, they are now aware of this.
Thanks for all the useful info.

When I permanently returned to the UK after being an expat I was asked by the hospital for proof that I wasn’t just returning for health care.

When dd visited minor injuries when we were on holiday in the UK they were able to immediately look up where she was registered with a GP, so be aware they can look stuff up

Yes I know it's far easier now for Trusts to check details - my understanding was that not being registered with a GP is not a barrier to care (thinking minor injuries or A&E). If asked for, they will be able to show passport and Medicare card to prove eligibility. Hopefully none of this will be needed!

Yep. And they wonder why the NHS is on its knees.

And before anyone says it’s down to the government… look at Wales. It’s Labour run and the NHS in Wales is a shambles.

The whole thing is a mess and taken the piss out of.

The Welsh NHS is underfunded by Tory UK government like the rest of the NHS.

Yes they are covered. Australia has a reciprocal agreement with the uk as @Franklet posted the link to. Repatriation would not be covered. In patient and A&E is

Not in the hospital where I work. We have an entire team who’s job it is to charge overseas visitors and claim the money. They do that at the same time of treatment. If you think that you can just get off a plane and demand treatment on the NHS ( apart from emergency care ) then you are mistaken. I deal with this on a regular basis and it’s taken very seriously.

The NHS budget is the highest it ever been and represents over 40% of all government spending. This doesn’t include the £12b to help clear the post Covid backlog or the planned increase. At the current rate you will have an NHS with a government attached. And I work for the NHS.

Where they retired and in receipt of a British state pension before they left the UK? If so, they are immediately entitled to NHS treatment as soon as they return to the UK. Otherwise, there is a residency period requirement for returning expats before they can use the NHS without charge. Not sure what this is though.

If they are Australian nationals then they are not “British expats”, they’re immigrants 🤷‍♀️

That’s kind of semantics. I am a British citizen who happens to also have Australian citizenship. I’m not an “immigrant” when I’m here on holiday. I’m a citizen of both countries.

irrelevant anyway as Australian citizens are entitled to NHS treatment when over here.

Actually @CallieJones the welsh government get more per head for the NHS than England and still manage to provide poor care, with much longer waiting lists; though there are other issues concerning age of communities etc
https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/how-well-is-the-nhs-in-wales-performing

I'm delighted that there are some people that think the tories have done a great job of running the country and the NHS for the last 13 years. I imagine you think that ambulance waiting times have really improved too.
You probably think that they've done a good job with schools too.
Oh and Brexit pushed through by the Tories has been great for the economy too hasn't it. Must be lovely living in your world!
https://www.itv.com/news/2022-06-09/brexit-cost-the-uk-billions-in-lost-trade-and-tax-revenues-research-finds

You are entitled for a period of time (possibly the first two years, can't remember) then you are not. Unless you choose to make voluntary NI contributions.