To think it's wrong to lie about where you live to use access medical services

[quidditys]

Someone I know has been lying about where she lives (using a parent's address) in order to access free IVF - it's not available in the area she actually lives in. She's now pregnant and still lying about where she lives in order to give birth at a hospital she prefers instead of her local one.

AIBU to think this is wrong? Is she even going to get away with it - isn't a midwife or a health visitor going to realise she doesn't actually live with her parent? (She's in her 30s and has a flat with her partner about an hour away from where she claims to live.)

The only thing that's wrong here is that this "postcode lottery" exists in the first place.

If I was desperate for a child and needed IVF, or any other medical treatment, and the only way to get it was lie about my address, then I'd do so in a heartbeat.

I couldn't get too worked up about this. Keep your beak out. I actually don't think it should be available on the NHS full stop but that's a whole other thread.

Doesn't our tax money go to fund one NHS? So it doesn't matter if you access the service via one Dr. surgery or another. Just my first thought. I am moving away soon and my current Dr. is 15 mins drive from work and if I move to my Dr. that is near to my new home address I would have to take an hour extra off work each time I need to see a Dr. I am luck that my employer entitles me to take this time off but I prefer to stay at my current Dr. for my own ease of access and to keep in the good graces of my employer.

I'd do exactly the same in her position to be honest and I wouldn't feel bad about it. It is incredibly unfair that some people can access IVF for free and some can't, especially when it is such a costly treatment to do privately. If it annoys you just don't bring it up in conversation, if she does, change the subject. It's not as if she has done it to get a free porno boob job is it? She obviously wanted to have a child and has done what she can to facilitate that. Equally you can chose where you give birth and it definitely doesn't have to be the closest one to you so she isn't playing the system to her advantage there.

I don't think that there is anything to stop people opening using a GP and therefore CCG at their parent's home anyway if the GP is happy with it.

'Is she even going to get away with it'

Well she's pregnant now. What do you think they should do to her? Also very weird that your post contains no happiness that this person is now expecting her much wanted baby, just disapproval that she managed to access the treatment to help her conceive.

So as her friend you'd rather she be unable to have children than say she lives with her parents? Have you considered being friends with someone else? Because the fact that you see a 'friend' like this is so so wrong.
In your shoes I'd be freaking out with excitement for her (I love babies and I love good news, so this is amazing) and be making plans for buying presents, celebrating. Not questioning the means of getting ivf.
Guess you've never had to go through something so traumatic.

She didn't rob someone at knifepoint for it for gods sake

YABU. Anyway she doesn't need to lie about where she lives to give birth at her preferred hospital. She can give birth wherever she likes! You don't automatically have to go to your nearest maternity unit. A friend would be supporting her right now and not judging her.

Not coming back, OP?

If you live in the same country, adhere to the same tax regimes as other people in other areas of that same country which pay for the NHS, then you should be receiving exactly the same entitlement.

So no, she is not doing anything wrong. She is just playing the system to receive treatment to which she would be entitled if she lived elsewhere. There is no requirement to provide proof to the NHS of where you live when accessing its services.

Another DailyFail piece?

It's the postcode lottery that's wrong not her!

Literally couldn't care less about this.

I also know someone who lied about her postcode to get cancer treatment

What was she going to do, stick to the principal or die?

I'm a midwife and to be honest even if I did realise a woman was lying I wouldn't care. It's not my role to police NHS funding. Agree it's the postcode lottery which is wrong.

If she was living in France and lying about living in England I'd see your point.

Everyone in the Uk pays into the same NHS and in my opinion is therefore entitled to all the services it offers should they have a need for them.

The NHS will often send people out of the county for things like specialist surgery or mental health treatment,

The way to look it is that she lives in the same country as her parents. Subject to the same taxes.
So really it's not scamming the situation.

Her council chose to funnel funds in to another avenue, not IVF. Fair enough. But as a citizen of the same country as her parents, I don't think she's doing anything wrong.

Why does it bother you so much? Don't you want her to have a child?