If you're not from the UK, and knew you had something seriously wrong

[Prontoe]

Would you choose to remain in the UK for healthcare or go back to your home country?

For reference I'd go back to home country as better healthcare imo (statistically it's not borne out) and because I'd have visitors.

Bit of a pointless question as it’s completely dependent on circumstances. If you had the option of good healthcare ( that won’t bankrupt you) in your home country and can go there and it doesn’t upend your current life/job and you’d have family support presumably you would go.
If you had the right to work and live in the U.K. and access healthcare for free here and the healthcare in your home country was crap, or too expensive to access, or going would disrupt your home life too much then you would stay in the UK.

I’ve experienced both US healthcare ( fully insured) and U.K. healthcare and IMO the NHS has been superior in EVERY way. Particularly as I’ve never been chased around with a credit card machine in the U.K. in the way we were in the US hospitals.

My home country would not give me healthcare as I have not been paying into the system there for 20+ years

Even if I could, I’d stay here. Maybe go private if that is an option.

It depends where the other country was and whether I’d have full access to healthcare there. I’m from the UK but I’ve lived in two other countries. One I would go back to for treatment if I was a citizen. The other I definitely wouldn’t.

Depends on the country!

What do you mean by healthcare though?

A one-off operation?
Ongoing treatment?

Last year I needed 2-3 hospital treatments per week for a while - you couldn’t just move to a new country, get new accommodation etc and balance that with time off work.

Would you actually have health care coverage at home, though? If you return with an existing condition and needed to get health insurance, usually those aren't covered or there's a huge premium to pay for them.

@bridgetreilly that’s the case in the US and other countries but generally not the case in EU countries with insurance based systems.

Who is going to look after you here vs in your home country when you are unwell?
What if you have complications afterwards and will be stuck in your home country for a foreseeable future? Because it may take time to be treated when you go back here.

I’m Irish - I’d stay here tbh! I’ve noy got private healthcare at home anymore ! So I’m much better off here!

Annoys me when British people don’t realise how lucky they are to have the NHS - I’m thankful for it everyday I’m here - I used to pay 50 euro a gp visit and 100euro the one time I ended up in a&e plus costs for X-rays etc ! I can’t believe i can just have it all free here !!

I dint have healthcare coverage as have not been paying the equivalent of taxes/NI for years and would have to fork out £800 on the spot plus waiting time for this to go through.
The healthcare is massively dependent on the trust/ hospital. I had sick relatives and would not like to land in some of those hospitals at all!!! You do get lucky summertimes but in general, no, don't think so.

If I were in the U.K., I would stay. The NHS is pretty good.
Our healthcare system in France is just as good. So no point moving country while unwell.

I lived in USA for 4yrs and there is no chance I’d go there for anything health related. Even though I had excellent insurance, the bill for 5 hours in the ER (A&E) with a suspected heart attack was still $3k out of pocket. And we didn’t even use an ambulance!

Depends on what the condition is. I went back home for dental treatment and for the second childbirth, to have reconstructive surgery after first childbirth (became double incontinent, but the attitude here was "well, what you wanted, that's childbirth for you, live with it"). Also had remote support from a consultant back home to compensate an unpleasant long term chronic illness (thyroid related), NHS proved to be quite useless, with waiting lists several miles long. Things like cancer, I would probably stay in the UK.

I am from the "third world", by the way.

The USA is awful, probably one of the worst if not thee worst healthcare systems in the developed world.

When I lived in America 12 years ago was very ill in hospital with double pneumonia and ecoli, and the insurance company called me Twice for a detailed explanation of the timeline of my illness. From my hospital bed I had to answer questions about my symptoms, the chills, fever, breathing problems. In the end they paid for the entire 10 days in hospital. It felt cruel and unnecessary.

100% choose to do it in my home country. I’d never ever rely on the NHS for treatment and access to private healthcare is patchy ime.

For childbirth I would always go home, EU country. I have read horror stories about the natal ward in the uk and am pretty sure its better in the eu.

Firstmentat it doesn,t sound very third world to me. (Horrible phrase as well totally should not be used.)

@june2007
Well, it is usually referred to as third world (less than $3K GDP per capita). But private treatment / childbirth is very affordable on UK salary, and of excellent quality.

I'm not from the UK, but have lived here for 7 years. I work here, pay tax here, a substantial NHS surcharge every 2.5 years, and both my DH and child (due in 4 weeks) are British. If I became ill, I would be using the NHS, as it is the healthcare system in the place where I live.

As far as I'm concerned, the medical care in my home country is better than in the UK. I would rather use their system than this one, however (especially in the current situation of lockdown and no international travel) that is not an option as it is an 8 hour flight from here.

I would much prefer to live in my home country, but due to DH's family situation and his work, it makes far more sense to remain in the UK. That's life.

Would you currently be allowed to return? Would the move be permanent? Is there job opportunities? Currently
Most hospitals have a no visitor policy, and surgeries and treatments cancelled unless life threatening

Would you be eligible for UK healthcare? Lot's of people from other countries aren't.