Want to come home to give Birth!!

[Sherry1978]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I moved to Istanbul 4 months ago. The problem is I'm 9 weeks pregnant and really want to come home to Hertfordshire for the birth. I would just feel more comfortable there!
The question is, is this possible if I have moved abroad? Do I need to fly back to England to book a hospital appointment?

Any feedback would be really appreciated right now.
Thank you!
Sherry

As you're not normally resident in this country it'll cost you.

Really Holiday? Even if the OP is a British Citizen and in Britain? Residency is quite complicated and not just down to the country you have spent only four months in.

It's nothing to to do with nationality it's about which country you are ordinarily resident in which in this case is not the UK. Have a look at this to make it a bit clearer www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/healthcare_e/healthcare_help_with_health_costs_e/nhs_charges_for_people_from_abroad.htm

You could easily come back and register at a GP with a parents address but that would be immoral and placing additional strain on our already stretched maternity services.

Erm, if the OP is living in another country then

a) there are lots of examples where you are still perfectly entitled to NHS care (for example based on where you pay tax or who you actually work for).
b) I would assume that she has health insurance which may be international, and in which case she would be entitled to care in the UK because her insurance company would foot the bill.

I am tired of reading the xenophobic bigoted comments on MN that AUTOMATICALLY assume that the ex-pat OP is being a health tourist complete with nasty comment about morality. Its jumping to conclusions massively.

The OP has made NO comment to suggest that she would not be eligible or has no intention to pay.

It really says a lot more about the poster making the post than the OP. Its unhelpful and generally doesn't inform the OP. Its just judgmental nonsense.

In actual fact, it even says on Holiday's link:

You can receive free NHS hospital treatment if you:-
normally work in the UK, but are temporarily working abroad for less than five years. You also need to have lived in the UK continuously for at least ten years before going overseas.

It is NOT straightforward by any means. We don't know the exact circumstances of the OP or her intension.

Its wrong to make these rather horrible comments without asking questions and finding out those details.

ok chill out. The OP wasn't clear, I shall await her to return to clear up any confusion. However I think you may have read a little more into my posts than was there to get that het up about it. Fact is health tourism does cost although it's incredibly easy to get away with if you have a British accent and a uk address.

You need to put some thought into the logistics.

You can only fly after 28 weeks with a doctor's letter saying you are fit to do so, and the cut odds 36 weeks (singleton) or 32 weeks (multiple) and then you have to allow for a period after the birth until you and the baby are both fit to fly, and the baby's birth is registered, passport acquired and and any necessary visas. Where will you be living for these months?

You'll probably only be able to book for delivery in UK and 'in the system', but as long as your antenatal care in Isatanbul is good and you have comprehensible notes, I can't think if any reason why you need to do this before you arrive. But, it will be obvious from foreign antenatal notes that you have been resident abroad, so you may need to demonstrate eligibility for NHS care (though IIRC childbirth itself is exempt from charges, but it might catch you out if there are other concurrent medical issues). If you are not eligible, then you may need to pay, so check your insurance or be read to self-fund.

'health tourism' does not sound compatible with someone who says she wants to 'come home.'

She could easily have been paying taxes in this country for her whole working life bar the last 4 months, which is not like someone who has no connection with the country but wants to come for health care.

I would contact the clinical commissioning group for your UK home area and ask them about the specifcs of it as they will be best placed to advise.

Coming home to give birth is by no means uncommon for UK residents working abroad, and I say this as an NHS manager. Im not aware of the specifcs, only that it can be done.

I would search for "home area clinical commissioning group" and contact them for further advice.

P.s.i flew at 34 weeks pregnant with a Dr's note and no one questioned me about it at check in or bording. Was a little disappointed I didn't use it in the end as our was an arse to organise

I believe that my friend who had move to the US three years or so before was treated here for some something unexpected whillst she was visiting family. I think she mentioned that the NHS said there was a maximum time you could still be treated on the NHS. If you moved to a different country, four years post move rings a bell, but don't take my word for it.

I understand completely why you would want to give birth in a country you a familiar with with a language you can understand being spoken. Hope it all works out.

"placing additional strain on our already stretched maternity services." What a sad way to respond to someone who is homesick!

You can recieve urgent medical care -e.g., hospital admission, GP treatment etc., if you are resident overseas. Holiday is correct about entitlement to wider treatment being based not on nationality but residency.

Some of this is shit advice.

A friend who had lived in the uk until 19, came back from abroad to have pregnancy care and birth with no problems. This was not because she got pregnant but complications mean she needed family care.

It is about your contributions/eligibility and ultimately the nhs does not turn expecting mothers away.

However with flight restrictions, you may be away for a significant time.

Of course you can OP. I have a friend who had lived in the UK for 6 years before relocation to Nigeria, where we now live. And here ALL foreigners leave to give birth (at around 32) in their home countries. THis friend chose to to back to the UK, with her Italian passport, and she did…no questions asked. Didn't pay a cent I believe. So if she could do it, I'm sure, you as British, can do it too. I'm also pregnant now but will fly to my home country to give birth, where we will pay for everything privately, although our insurance does reimburse most of the expenses.

I meant at around 32 weeks...

I had a bit of a shock when I came back from living abroad for a year, turned up at the maternity hospital and realised I might need to pay for my care! As we had not a penny at that point, I'd have been going it alone!
However, I had maintained an address here (my parents) and had genuinely been coming and going quite a bit as I was studying here, so managed to get away with it.

I did this, as we had only temporarily relocated to Italy and maintained a UK address (my parents address) they were more than happy to provide maternity care here.