AIBU to not be registered with a GP?

[JSachs]

Firstly, I am not a UK or EU citizen.

I am here on a contract to work for a couple of years and then will see where things go from there.

I am not registered with an NHS GP for various reasons that I won't get into.

I have only one concern that I hope someone will be able to clarify for me-

What happens if I fall sick and can't go to work? Is it only an NHS GP who can provide a sick note or fit to work certificate? Or can private doctors also do that?

I don't have any concerns about getting treatment when I am sick as I can afford private care. I am only concerned about the employment aspect- is there like a legal requirement for people to be registered with an NHS surgery?

I find it puzzling and amusing as to why you just don't just ask your employer if they will accept a sick note from a private GP. How the hell would anyone on mumsnet know what your unknown employers stance on this was.

our NHS will treat anyone of any nationality for an emergency without charge. As it should be.

OP -scenario (unlikely but possible): you have an accident or illness which means that you can no longer work. You have that accident in the UK and your job ends. Your visa ends too. You need an air ambulance home. Who pays?

you have that accident abroad. Who pays?

I don't need to know the answers (and of course hope it never happens). But it could happen. Do you know the answers?

different situation, but there are Brits who went abroad and thought they didn't need travel insurance. Parents and families have been bankrupted as a result.

HaPPy8 I agree, OP you need to check with your employer, it will be in their contracts and not something we can advise you on (one employer might be fine with this, another not). I would imagine a sick note is a sick note but you need to check with them, not us.

My employer hasn't put this in the contract. I hardly imagine they would put something like - 'cannot use private GP sick notes' in an employment contract.

I wasn't aware that every employer might have a different policy on this, but thanks for bringing it up.

I'll see if I can check this with a colleague or someone in HR.

It's a bizarre thread anyway OP- how would we know what your employer would and wouldn't accept? It's up to you how to conduct your healthcare but also up to you find out your employers requirements

scenario (unlikely but possible): you have an accident or illness which means that you can no longer work. You have that accident in the UK and your job ends. Your visa ends too. You need an air ambulance home. Who pays?

My home country's embassy/government.

you have that accident abroad. Who pays?

Huh? Abroad where? Like if I was in Spain and was run over by a car? What would any of that have to do with being registered with an NHS GP. Anyone can get injured on holiday. So what?

serenitysutton

It's a bizarre thread, not because of the question but because of the reactions.

I wasn't aware that this varied from employer to employer. I don't have an understanding of how sick leave in the UK which is why I asked.

OP, check with your employer about sick notes.

I don't know whether this will help but I am not registered with an NHS GP in the UK either. I divide my time between 3 countries and, even though I am a UK tax payer, I have registered with a private GP in each country. Nothing against state health care but I have specialist healthcare needs and after much thought and research we realised it was better for us to pay for our healthcare.

I have never had a problem getting an appointment (my GP works in a surgery with 3/4 other GPs). I can see a GP at the surgery within 1 hour of calling if it is an emergency and generally am able to see my GP of choice the same day I call. They also do sick notes.

You have nothing to lose by registering with a private GP if you are not happy to use a NHS GP. With a 999 emergency I was taken by ambulance to a NHS hospital and within hours transferred to a private hospital (this has happened a number of times to me and the service between NHS and private is amazingly seamless). If you are prepared/can afford to pay then there is no downside to registering with a private GP. Just find yourself a good surgery with a good team of GPs and supporting staff and you will be sorted.

This is an odd thread because it asks 'AIBU not to be registered with a GP?' and then when people have answered this question, pointing out that in general, there's no disadvantage but many advantages you are cross at them.

Of course you can find out from your employer what they need, if it says 'medical evidence' then it won't matter where it comes from, if it says 'GP's letter' then you can check they don't mind private GPs, why would they anyway?

We can't definitively tell you something about what is needed by your employer, I'm pretty sure HR will have a policy about what counts as medical evidence for sickness and you need a copy of that.

Finding this thread interesting. I've been considering using a private GP as my NHS one is so hard to get an appointment with and has fobbed me off in the past. Can anyone recommend one in London? We have private healthcare like the OP, but just need a GP for referrals. I have some ongoing health issues so am a bit worried about getting one just from Googling. Some private practices seem more geared to very simple cases like immunisations/STD issues. Would you have to pay private prescription fees for prescriptions made? (I have low thyroid so generally get them free on the NHS).

DH incidentally is also a non-EU/UK citizen and it took him years to get around to registering with a GP here (he just never got ill in that time). It was a bit of hassle as they wanted to do an initial health check before registering him, but could only offer him this within work hours. Things like that must be quite off-putting for professional workers, plus it is often awkward getting an appointment for non-urgent issues around work hours.

I find British are obsessed with insurance. My ATM used to offer insurance against missing favourite TV programmes, ffs. I still think insurance for freezer food contents is nutty, too.

Perhaps speaking with your employer before the issue arises might be your best bet. We can all speculate, and frankly my guess is that a private GP's not should be as valid as an NHS GP (since many have private and NHS practice hours).

However, the specific requirements from your employer are most pressing in your specific case...

All the best sorting this out.

I think OP qualifies for EHIC, and EHIC card is a prerequisite for some medical travel insurance in Europe to be valid. But not a problem if OP has some other kind of medical travel insurance deal going or never goes to rest of EU/EEA anyway.

'obsessed with insurance'. Or 'prudent' which is the other word for it. I've never heard of insurance against missing TV programmes, 'urban myth' is a word for that. As is 'iplayer'.

I have a very big chest freezer and it is cheaper (and uses less fuel) for me to buy meat in bulk.Also have a veg plot which produces food for freezing.

there can be £300 of food in there after a stock up, and it isn't a new freezer. A pound a month with no excess to insure all that seems reasonable to me. Perhaps you can chuck £300 about with no worries, in which case you wouldn't bother with the insurance.

Op, no, none of this is to do with being registered with an NHS GP. Just giving you the free advice for which you asked on this forum. As such, no insurance is offered against you not liking what people say.

But for EHIC you need an nhs number which is generated on registration at an nhs surgery. You also need uk/eu/was nationality.

Why are you asking us instead of your employer?

Do you think mners are mind readers?

OP, you are right to post. I get why you did. And there are always some very knowledgeable people on MN who are willing to help without being arsey. I posted on a thread recently about why I would never start a thread again on MN, this thread has reminded me why that is still holds true.

Do double check with your employer re the sick note, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck on your with your job, and enjoy the UK, it is fab.

"Fine, you can be curious. But unless you know the full story refrain from attacking me and being judgemental."

I wasn't attacking you or being judgemental. As others have repeatedly said this in many ways - "I'm confused as to why you wouldn't want to register with an NHS gp too. I can't think of a circumstance where you wouldn't?"

This is why people think it is unusual.

Thanks for clarifying that Edie.

I haven't RTFT but if you are on a contract yu won't get paid if you don't work anyway so why do you need a note?

Honestly! I couldn't make it up. The ATM offered some kind of insurance in case the VCR failed to tape record a TV programme. So insurance for VCR breakdown. it was advertised for a while at my cashpoint in the mid 1990s. I thought it was hilarious.

You can bet on anything here, too. I'm always impressed by the weird bets that get placed & publicised (come from a country that frowns on betting).

I've met a few other people who weren't registered with any GP. I think it's good to raise the question why should we see it as essential.

And good luck with getting your home government to repatriate you if you' need to go home because that will not happen

I don't understand why people are advising OP to check with her employers. How could a private GP note be any less acceptable than an NHS one?

It is not like NHS is some type of gold standard and private GPs are dodgy fly by nights. they are all doctors!

Bit how do you know? My family lived abroad for my entire childhood - my dad worked in a diplomatic capacity - and of course we would have been repatriated if necessary.

OP may be working on a short term contract at an embassy, or for an NGO which has arrangements for this type of thing.

I haven't had an NHS GP for most of my life because of precisely that. Never a problem.

Unless she works for the government like your family did revolting (and you are right, she may do!), then they will not do it - well certainly not for free.

NHS will not repatriate either. It has nothing to do with registering with an NHS GP. Repatriation is what private travel insurance does.