If I live between 2 countries can I still use the NHS?

[Reluctantnomad]

I am engaged to marry someone from a different country. I have a serious chronic illness that means I can't survive in my DP's country depending on doctors there.

If I spend time in both countries when we get married, can I keep using the NHS even if I wouldn't be here 12 months of the year?

My DP can't live here - father to teens, and they are obviously the most important consideration in all this. Once they are finished school we can live wherever.

I am worrying.

elisaveta it's certainly different to your experience 15 years ago now. I was hospitalised in Austria last year and the paramedics wouldn't move without seeing the EHIC card first and they took a copy there and then. I also received a bill some weeks later, only for about £30, don't know what exactly it was for. Luckily I've got a German friend who could read it and paid it from her € bank account and I paid her back.

My friend married an American, they initially lived in the uk but moved to the states. He had a medical condition that required constant prescriptions, and they ended up moving back to the uk because he couldn't afford it over there.

Had the same experience as you in Italy davros. Broke my foot and first thing they wanted to see in the hospital was the EHIC. Once that was handed over everything was done for free, and I never heard anything further. (They were so lovely - the nurses handed out free bottles of chilled water in the waiting room.) Also when we lived in Ireland, nothing would be done without payment. It's only in the UK that I've seen medical practices just not bother or not know what to do. To be fair I've only had two occasions of this in the UK, but other people seem to have had similar experiences.

Athome Children receive free care no matter where they are from.

Secret Australians receive free care as Aus is a former Colony and part of the commonwealth. There will be a reciprocal agreement in place between the two countries that allows care to be subsidised.

Similarly, all A&E care is free for anyone. It only becomes chargeable when the patient is admitted for care, tests, surgery etc.

OP I know you have your answer now, but the way it works where I work is that you need to be resident for at least 6 months of the year. You need a permanent UK address and you need to be either paying taxes in the UK or in receipt of a British pension.

It used to be that if you had an NHS number you wouldn't be checked, but it is a very hot topic right now. The national NHS database (Summary Care Records) holds your basic details - name, NHS number, address, phone number, GP, next of kin etc, but it now also has a colour coded system that shows whether you are entitled to NHS care (green) or not (red). It is now very easy to check and once your entitlement has been logged it is there for all to see.

I can well believe that surgeries and health centres refuse to take money from overseas visitors. I recently had travel injections at my GP, I was told I would be charged for them and thought it fair enough (the actual charge turned out to be £10 which I thought was ridiculously low ) The problem was that they did not have the facilities to take my money! The receptionist wasn't sure what to do and there was no way of taking a card payment. I live in an area where many patients will be travelling abroad and could not believe that the surgery did not have a better system for travel vaccinations. I had to have my hepatitis c done at a private clinic because there is a shortage in the NHS, they had no qualms about charging (£80!!!!) and taking payment. sometimes the NHS is its own worst enemy.

Fiveboys we used to live abroad and had the same experience when we'd come home for visits. We also had insurance but there was nowhere to get a private GP appointment. I called the BUPA helpline but they were useless. I ended up taking ds to A and E for a minor illness and they had no way of charging us either. Donating money is a good idea. I wish I'd thought of it.

I have lots of friends who go to private GPs, I don't think through BUPA, don't know who they see or where though!

Are you Scottish OP? The rules are different in Scotland.

Its easy to find private specialist medical care in the UK. There's even a smashing website to help you. But finding a private GP on a day when you need to see a DR is hard unless you're in a hotel and you're not well. They always seem to be able to get a Dr to you because they're probably scared you'll die in bed and block the room whilst the police investigate.

This is the link to the info on BUPA - you do not have to belong to BUPA to access the GP

www.bupa.co.uk/health/bupa-on-demand/gp-services

Eliza, I feel haunted at the thought of being classed as someone who goes to the Uk for free medical treatment.

cariad - I'm certainly not advocating it! Just pointing out that the system doesn't seem very robust, but other's have had different experiences, so it may depend on where you end up.
I'm a bit over-sensitive to it, because I got a bit cross during the Brexit debates at the perception of loads of foreigners coming in to use the NHS. a) I think this is a very small number and b) there's evidence that quite a few try to pay their way, and it's very difficult to do so. None of this is really helping the OP though - sorry to hijack your thread OP.

I'm certainly not advocating it!

Im lost sorry.

I just came across this thread whilst browsing another board

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/3042996-Finding-a-Private-GP

The problem with having a plan to visit the UK for your ongoing care is that really you need a local doctor who is helping you monitor, treat and manage your overall health and chronic conditions. You can't really assume that if you get a flare-up you'll fly over to the UK and quickly see a doctor. Long term you need a local doctor who will help you manage your condition.

You will easily find that doctor in the US. The challenge is ensuring you have health insurance to help you pay the bills and prescriptions.

My experience so far has been good - I've been here 10 years, had a variety of types of insurance (individual, ACA, big company, small company) and nothing major has been excluded.

But there is always the risk that Republicans will take away some protections for those with pre-existing conditions who are buying insurance on the individual market.

Company-provided insurance is different - HIPAA in 1996 introduced many protections to those on company-provided insurance, and I don't think even the Republicans will repeal or modify it.

It's a very unfair system. Actually, the more unfair it becomes, and the more people realise that neither Democrats nor Republicans have a working solution, the closer I think we get to accepting that we need something like Medicare for all.

But it's still a long way off IMO.

Have you checked about buying your medication in the country your moving too without a prescription