Expats and the NHS

[suedonim]

Does anyone know about the entitlement or otherwise of British expats to NHS care when they are home on leave.
Dh's company currently gives us health care cover while we are expats but now wants to change the terms so that we are covered only in the country where dh is working/residing. I've been told that because we don't live in the UK or pay UK tax we are not entitled to NHS care. We do have a house in the UK and still have to pay Community Charge.
What do Mumsnetters think??

have a look at this

Gulp, looks like we're not covered. Thanks for that site.

I know about this but wouldn't say i fully understand it because it seems that the people that should don't either.

If you have an E form of any kind due to leaving UK and taking up residency elsewhere then a little knopwn fact is that you thereby automatically give up any right to NHS entitlement even if you still work/pay taxes in the UK. However, you need an E form of some kind in order to register for Helath Care under other EU countries' SS policies. Of course, elsewhere you need insurance top ups too but the SS is important.

So, in France, for example I need an E form to get my Carte Vitale but I don't have an E form because I work and maintain an address in the Uk, so I can't.

Not sure what you are suppsoed to do at this point as I am still burying my head in the sand about it.

sorry for typos my fingers are almost frozen solid.

i think you may be covered as you are domiciled to the UK which means roughly your country of origin. you have a UK address etc, uk passport

As far as we can decipher from the rules, it seems we can get emergency hospital treatment but nothing else. I've got to renew dd2's passport at the Brit Consulate this week so I'll try to remember to ask the people there.

Suedonim - I guess the question is how likely are you to need NHS treatment when you are home?

That's the problem, illness is unpredicatble, isn't it? Dd has managed to be ill on two out of three trips home plus dh and I both have regular meds. So far our previous GP has been happy to treat us so I hope that situation continues. But what we're actually wanting is for dh's company to give us proper cover as part of his T&C's.

I went to my sisters GP last time I was in the UK, it wasn't an issue. I filed in a visitors form but that was it.