Is it U to use the NHS when you dont live in the UK ?

[bijou3]

My sister had a baby last weekend, the poor nurses were so busy as the maternity ward was full. Some of the Mothers in the ward were talking apparently 5 women in the ward were from the Middle East (UK citizens living there) that had come back to the UK to give birth. They were laughing about how they earn TAX free money but instead of using their health care abroad they use the NHS FOC for each delivery. I couldn?t believe that 5 women were all sponging off the NHS in one hospital, how many others do this?

I can't believe it either. And don't.

Very unreasonable.

NHS tourism is a big problem BUT as British citizens I don't see the problem. Eventually they will move back to the UK, buy houses and be taxes like other individuals.

Why dont you believe it KIASA ?

Actually one of my SILs does this. Comes home every couple of years for a smear test, mammogram, optician, and dentist. Had a free Russell Group university education and has never paid one penny of tax in the UK. I think it's a bloody disgrace.

That's the joy of the NHS - we don't dump people in need out on the street of they haven't a big enough cheque book. My sister was in the US in labour (she has her green card) and was in the ambulance and a nurse was asking her for her healthcare number (or whatever you have there). I think she told her to eff off.

Maybe they came home to give birth to be near their mums? My ward was all 'foreign' mums too, but you don't know peoples life stories, do you?

I find it hard to believe that there were 5 women all there from the Middle East at the same time who had come back to England to have their babies. All on the ward at exactly the same time. What are the chances?

I can believe someone hearing something about someone living in another country coming over to have their baby here and not paying for medical care, and blowing it all out of proportion.

If you have issue with any aspect of this, I assume you take issue with people who are British citizens and live abroad and the authorities who let this happen?

It's actually against the rules. You are only entitled if you are 'ordinarily resident' in the UK iirc.

I knew quite a few expats who came back to the UK to have their babies, but it was usually because they were worried about language problems or differences in approach to childbirth where they were living (eg in Japan there is not normally the option to have any kind of pain relief in childbirth). Or some wanted to be close to family support.

I think some of them went to NHS hospitals, but more went private (Portland etc) as they wanted private rooms, and it is also difficult to book in to an NHS hospital late in your pregnancy. I would be very surprised if any of them had been boasting about coming back to save money - expat contracts normally include private health cover anyway.

This sounds to me like Daily Mail-style stirring, to be honest.

I know my SIL's frontpaw. 10 years in the UAE, a yacht and now a small farm and a few investment flats in a major foreign City. It is totally unacceptable that she is allowed to do this, especially when my family had to beg for respite care when my grandmother had alzheimers.

They all came back, at the same time, to the same area in the UK, ended up in the same ward on the same day laughing about the same thing?

You or your sister are lying.

This country is too civilised to turn people away in need. If a tourist got hit by a car, they would be treated the same as if you or I were. I believe I have read that the NHS does 'bill' but has no means of actually retrieving the money.

Is this thread about non tax payers using the NHS in general? Coz that'll open up a whole 'benefits' can of worms.

Or you are a daily mail journalist

Actually unless you keep registered with your GP when you move abroad (which you're not allowed to do) it's actually quite difficult to get non-emergency treatment on the NHS (including maternity care). Each hospital has an Overseas Patients Manager and you have to prove your eligability to them. I know because I had to. I ended up going to every appointment with all the documents I had proving that I was entitled, including going to the labour ward.

I know for a fact that if you're not a regular resident you have to pay, or have your insurance pay (whether private or public from another country I'm talking about the EU reciprocal agreements).
Maybe they came back to give birth to be near their families, but they paid fro the services. All the Brits I know who work in the middle east make loads of money but work loooong hours and there's not such a concept as patenrity leave.

Why does she go to all the bother? If I was so rich - don't think I could be bothered to do that. Your SIL sounds very very daft! I would be resisting the urge to slap if it was my SIL! Its not as if she is coming from a place which has very bad healthcare and she is raving about 'our wonderful NHS'. I know people who come over here but they come to see private doctors.

I don't know how it works in the US - is it hundreds of dollars to see a gynaecologist or does your healthcare cover it?

I would have thought it normal to return to your home country to ensure there were never any residency or passport issues for your child at a later date. It does happen to children born abroad.

I believe that the OP is not lying. I believe her sister was not lying. But I also believe that some racist ignorant bigot one did start a rumour along those lines. What's sad is that people believe it.

Jumping, I never had issues with mine, citizenship and passport were given at once just with the presentation of parental passport. Residency is another issue completely

Because she's entitled, very mean and thinks she's a socialist.

They were all talking on the ward there was a women from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar I couldn?t believe it either. I have looked up forums in the Middle East and there is a lot of info on this type of thing they even tell you how to get away with it.
It?s just unfair that someone like my elderly Mother has to wait 6 weeks for an appointment on the NHS when she?s lived here her whole life and paid TAXES. People that use our resources are thieves if they don?t live here. No wonder we are called rip of Britain !

A huge amounts of expats where I used to live came back to the UK just to have babies - I'd say it was probably 80% of them or more.

Even though they were not legally entitled to free NHS, it was always pretty easy to fudge it using a parents' address or whatever, or lots of them owned houses in the UK.

Oops amount, clearly, not amounts. Must proofread.

I suppose if you're an immigrant and come back to the UK and live with your parents then you're kind of entitled... I doubt anybody does it to have the "fantastic" nhs maternity service, I assume they want to be near family