International Patients at Portland

[PeaceAndHope]

I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction on this one.

My sister from Asia wants to have her baby at the Portland (she wants an ELCS and can't get one in her country) and I am unsure if this is possible.

I checked the Portland website and it said they do accept international patients but I'm not sure if that holds for deliveries as well.

The facilities where she lives are genuinely not up to the mark and as since she already has issues like incontinence it is very important to her that she be able to have a CS.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing?

Her plan is to just come to London around 12 weeks prior to the due date and leave as soon as the doctor says she is well enough to travel.

I am completely unaware of whether or not this is legal (since she isn't a British or EU National) and what the implications will be for the baby in terms of the registration of the birth and bringing him back home.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Should be able to Peace. The border agency do allow this for up to 6 months

www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/medical/requirements/

Have to say though, the Borders agency charge astronomical fees for some of their applications so might need considering.

Thanks Ushy!

I'm not sure if maternity care is included in the eligibility for a medical visa though. I would imagine that they reserve the medical visas for people with serious medical conditions, and a woman wanting an ELCS will have virtually no case.

A tourist visa is much the same in that it allows you to stay for 6 months, but I'm not sure if the Portland will accept patients in the UK on a tourist visa...

DH just told me the visa fee for private medical treatment is actually one of the very cheap ones so ignore the previous comment.

Good luck to your sister

Peace I should give them a ring and ask them but I certainly know people who have had babies at private UK hospitals who were not resident in UK.

If your sister has had incontinence than she is at risk if she has another vaginal delivery so I think she has a legitimate case for saying that she wants to come to uk for medical treatment.

I don't think the Borders Agency is the slightest bit concerned about what the medical condition is as long as she is coming to uk for medical treatment and plans to go back afterwards - the latter is what you want to reassure them of. (Medical care, is after all, a UK export market so they won't want to stifle trade). The rules on immigration changed in the 1980s so they also won't be worried about the baby being a British citizen.

I think you are exactly right to make some enquiries well in advance but IMO I would have thought your sister should be ok.

Oh, that's very reassuring:) Thanks very much Ushy!

I looked at the Portland website and they have something about an Embassy referral. No idea what that is. Perhaps it may be best if I ring the Portland? Maybe they will be able to give me the specifics of how to go about this, as I am sure they have received similar enquiries earlier.

I would imagine that the UKBA is more concerned about birth tourists who come to have their babies for free on the NHS.

I had a client who had a high risk pregnancy in the caribbean. She booked for private care with an obstetrician at my NHS hospital in London (where her sister worked so she had a connection). It was much cheaper than a private hospital.

She contacted the consultant via his hospital secretary, arranged an antenatal consultation the day after she arrive at 30 weeks and took it from there. She had an elective cs after major fibroid surgery.

Thanks for your reply mayhew.

Sounds like you're an HCP. Do you know if private hospitals/wings have certain visa requirements before they agree to treat a patient? Does it have to be a medical visa or can it be a tourist visa as well? I ask because my sister already has a valid 5 year tourist visa on her passport and she is allowed to stay in UK for 6 months on that visa. Getting visas sorted is such a pain, and if she can manage to use the one she has it would be much better!

Do you recall what kind of visa this lady from the caribbean was in the UK on?

I think she had a tourist visa. I don't think hospitals are interested in visas per se. They are more interested that you are not trying to pass yourself off as a resident to get free NHS care. Which happens a lot?..

Embassy referrals are when an Embassy refers someone and pays for their treatment.

why not phone the Portland and ask?

Yes, it does seem to happen a lot. I recently read an article about 'birth tourism' on the NHS. It's quite alarming actually to think about the already underfunded and short-staffed NHS being exploited in this fashion.

Southwest thanks for explaining. I thought embassy referrals meant getting an reference from the embassy for a medical visa .
I think I will take your suggestion and give Portland a call sometime tomorrow. :)

As to the second part of your question, in order for your sister to fly the baby back to her country, she will probably need to apply for a passport for the baby at her country's embassy in London before the baby can fly home. (The baby does not gain UK/EU citizenship just by being born in the UK.)