AIBU to think we shouldn't have got a bill for doctor appointment?

[Rainatnight]

DD, 2, had an outpatients hospital appointment in the summer for suspected asthma. Saw the consultant, we where packed off with a prescription, all fine.

We're in the UK, it was an NHS appointment based on a GP referral.

Today, I opened an invoice from the hospital for £330!

It's just an invoice, no explanation of why we're being charged.

I can ring in the morning and ask but wondered if anyone knew why this might have happened?

Yes, I would hope so, too, but sadly not everyone appears to be interested in healing the divisions.

Why have you hijacked OP’s thread? Take it somewhere else. It’s really not fair to the OP, who asked a fair and legitimate question.

OP - looks like an error. Probably someone checking the wrong box on a form. I’m sure if you contact them, it will be resolved very quickly. As your DD is British, she will have an NHS number. If you provide this, I’m sure the invoice will be cancelled.

What an odd thread. There are nutters everywhere kayaking and it isn’t Southern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland was called “Southern Ireland” for a couple of years almost a century ago, not in 1978! I don’t think it is appropriate to bring your politics onto this thread. You had an agenda from the start when you disagreed with ROI residents / former residents getting NHS care.

Op I hope it doesn’t take too long to sort the paperwork out.

In order to benefit from NHS secondary services (GP appointments don't count, they are primary care, but anything after that is chargeable) you need to be 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, that's to say that you are settled here and intend to stay settled.

It has nothing to do with nationality or how long you have lived here, it's all based on your intention to stay in the UK. You could arrive in the UK tomorrow and be entitled to care as long as your intention is to settle here and you can prove it.

From what you've said, it sounds like a mistake and I'd just contact the Overseas Visitors team which should be detailed on the letter.

Also, has absolutely nothing to do with Brexit, these policies have been in place for years.

It means nothing whether you are british or not.
To get free NHS, you need to be resident in UK.
If you decided to live in USA and came back for a free treatment then expect an invoice.
This doesn't apply to OP.

Well, this got weird...

Maybe they have marked you down as missing the appointment and have charged for the non attendance

I actually came on to read an interesting thread. Why have you all hijacked it with your argument? Poor form and you are all as bad as each other, start your own thread! Poor op!

"Isn't NHS free treatment for those ordinarily resident in UK not based on nationality?"

Yes. Those saying Europeans need to use EHIC card are wrong. If you're resident here, your care is free.

*do you claim child benefit? If not it could be an explanation..

How so?*

For some official purposes, residence of children with foreign national parents is established via the child benefit claim. I discovered this the hard way when applying for the child maintenance from ex, they could not process the claim because I don't claim child benefit, so they could not ascertain that I am residing in the UK with the children. I had to wait until a "manual process" caseworker is assigned, then she sent me a questionnaire asking "what is your child benefit reference number" and "if you haven't registered your claim for the child benefit, please inform us when you are planning to do so". I gave up at that point.

To the OP, you need to ring the Overseas Visitors dept in the trust. I got into a similar ridiculous "computer says no" situation last year, and gave up and paid the bill in the end, as my residence permit was due for renewal and I did not want any "debts" to the NHS on my record.

@rainatnight
Can you update when you've found out what the invoice is for please?
(Carpark comment from PP 😂😂)

Notab - it’s no defence of Kayak’s other views, but the shooting she refers to did indeed occur. I don’t agree with her that it means that further divides between the British and Irish are justified, and I definitely don’t agree with her Anti-Irish agenda, but denying facts does no one any favours.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand - it will be an error OP. I’d just call them and explain, and perhaps follow up in writing (only because NHS record keeping can be appalling, and I’d want my own record of having told them!)

It has nothing to do with nationality or how long you have lived here, it's all based on your intention to stay in the UK. You could arrive in the UK tomorrow and be entitled to care as long as your intention is to settle here and you can prove it.
This is in theory. In practice, trusts have formal guidance on who can be considered "ordinarily resident" and who cannot.
For example, Non-EU citizens without ILR are not considered ordinarily resident, no matter how long they intend to stay. However, there are loads of them, some with pre-ILR leaves to remain (think Windrush), some under the European freedom of movement as family members.

Are some services starting to go the way of NHS dentists? Ie subsidized rather than free treatment?

Yes @silvercuckoo you are right but I didn't want to start going into all the decision points, there are thousands (I know, I've mapped them all out, it took me about a week and there'll still be more!).

I'm just trying to stop the consensus that the NHS is based on nationality, it's not and that's the way it should be - if you choose to be resident elsewhere then you cannot come back just for treatment, likewise, if you choose to make the UK your home, you are entitled to our wonderful NHS.

I've just read this thread, can I just say WTF?????

Back to the OPs actual question, it sounds like a fuck up. Contact them and explain, and think about the evidence you might be able to supply to show you're ordinarily resident (proof of your work, her school, council tax bills etc). They likely won't ask but if they do, it's not that hard to prove.

OP, have your children been treated at hospital before without charge? If so, this is clearly a mistake.

Yeh, that thread went off in a strange direction.

Soooooooo OP, are you ordinarily resident in the UK or just over for a visit? If so, and it sounds like you are since the appointment was in the summer and the letter came now and it was a GP referrel then it was a mistake.

If it's any consolation DS had his consultant appointment cancelled for "other reasons" and was referred back to his GP. Since this was at the dental hospital he spoke to his dentist who said he had been rejected for being a foreign national.

DS is born and bred in the UK with British ancestry on all sides back to 1868 when one side Came from Ireland. This was Bradford Teaching Hospitals Trust.

I suspect someone made a mistake, but he actually had to provide ID and his NHS number to get back in the system.

Wow OP that escalated quickly if you are ordinarily resident in the UK you are entitled to free care regardless of nationality. Nationality does not = entitlement. If you are British and do not live in the UK you are no longer entitled to free care.
Phone up the overseas department if its a mix up its easy to fix. I work in the next office down from our overseas team and they are very nice. Most people who come in to see them don’t end up with a bill.