Expat mum wants to return to uk for birth

[eczemamum]

A friend of mine is due to have her first baby in november. She has been working in china for three years and wishes to return to the uk to have her child. She has insurance which will pay for her nhs care. She is not trying to be a health tourist. Does anyone have experience of paying for nhs maternity care? She informed her parents' NHS Trust in the summer of her intentions and they agreed to provide her care. Yesterday (two days before she is due to fly home) she found out that the Trust has changed its mind and won't accept her as a patient. Has anyone been in a similar situation - does any one have any advice about what she can do? She is desperate.

As far as I know, no hospital is allowed to refuse you care when you are in labour!

She may need to find a private obstetrician. I did this but in Ireland. I emailed the hosp and explained and the 'Master' of the hosp where I wanted to give birth agreed to take me on his private books.

a friend has done this (lives in Cairo) am pretty sure she ended up with bill from NHS. Was under care of private obstetrician as well.

As I understand it the hospital will provide emergency care but she wishes also to get prenatal care as well. Also the insurance has to be preorganised with the nhs - althrough the nhs will provide emergency care they will consequently charge her as an illegal health tourist - her insurance then becomes invalid.

more general guidance here

link

Message withdrawn

also whereabouts in china? dsd born in hong kong where care was fab

My cousin had both of hers in this country from China, and had no problems at all.

Its is also to do with getting passports and in the future where their grandhildren are born.

onesyonetogo it might be the worst medical care in Europe but not the worst maternity care compared to some areas worldwide

Have they given a reason?

get her insurance co involved - maybe they can find somewhere? or go private? or indie mw

private?
five I thought being born in the UK no longer gave you automatic right to a passport?

Department of Health guidelines seem to be "Anyone working abroad for not more than 5 years as long as they have lived legally in the UK for ten continuous years at some point (including self employed people);" don't have to pay. See here.

She could book a home birth under the care of an Independent Midwife. they cost between £2 to 3.5 thousand. The midwife would have a contractual agreement with a hospital if she needed to be transferred in at anytime before during or after giving birth.

1dilemma, i think it doesn't give automatic right to some non-citizens of the UK, asylum seekers for example, but may give most other non citizens with legal right of abode.

eczemamum

She doesnt even have to admit being abroad for 3 years if she doesnt want to - how would the NHS find out?

If she has a UK passport and previously paid taxes here, she is not exactly being a health tourist is she?

Personally I would just come back here, book in and say nothing. If anyone asked she has been backpacking overseas for a few months

Agree with portand lemon plus can the nhs trust actually refuse care to someone who qualifies?

Mintpurple, she would be committing fraud. They all have forms now asking if you have been UK resident for the previous 12 months. Having said that, she is covered under the provisions from PortandLemon's link.

Singapore also has good healthcare provision - she will have to go private. US-style obstetrician-led births.

thinking about this what is this insurance that will pay for NHS care? a one way plane ticket?
cheap insurance?
why wont it pay private?
either she is entitled or she isn't (I'm guessing not) in which case surely she needs private care

Thanks for all the messages - my friend has now returned to the UK and the NHS has agreed to treat her and charge her insurance company for her care. The problem was not with treating her but working out how much to charge her - no one seems to know how much it costs to have an nhs baby.

would depend how the birth goes surely?

I returned to the UK 3 months before givng borth to ds1 havig previously lived in Hong Kong for 2 years, TBH I didn't even think about implications and having to pay. My husband's company covered us for private health in HK and I would have had ds at the Matilda Hospital there but my cousin had had problems previously and I recently there had been news about medical mishaps in HK hospitals and I got freaked. Although in non hormonal hingsight, I realie that I had the same chance of things going wrong in a UK hospital as I did in HK.