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Living overseas

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Original poster

Delivering my baby in uk

71 replies

Esraa · 26/02/2019 15:36

Am pregnant 17. Weak now. Am living in Egypt, am British and have a valid British passport but I don't have insurance in UK. Want to deliver my baby in UK what is needed to have my baby there should I pay for NHS or what?

OP posts:
BlingLoving · 26/02/2019 15:51

As far as I know, you are eligible for NHS as you are british. However, you'd need to come back and have a registered address and GP (I assume) as that is how you would then be allocated a hospital and midwife service.

My father, who has lived out of the UK for 50plus years has offered to pay for NHS treatment when he visits, but they always decline as he has a british passport (he did in fact continue to pay NI throughout that time, but no one ever asked or checked that).

Shmithecat2 · 26/02/2019 20:50

If you still have a UK address and are registered with a GP, that's all you need. I came back to the UK at 36 weeks, made an appointment and everything was fine. Got handed over to the midwife/consultant no problem.

Original poster
Esraa · 27/02/2019 06:50

Thank you for your reply
So if I plan to come to UK next month where first I should directed and how can I have G.p . as I left UK while I was 1 year old and I didn't visit UK any more since that time

OP posts:
thefirst48 · 27/02/2019 06:54

So basically you were born here only and have been living in another country for over 15 years but want to come back and use our free national health system because you can't afford to have it in a country you call home? Wtf!

Grumpbum123 · 27/02/2019 06:56

^ what thefirst48 said^

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/02/2019 06:56

Eligibility for the NHS is based on residency, not nationality.

Ullupullu · 27/02/2019 06:57

You register with a GP local to your UK home address. In my experience (moving house in London) you can still receive hospital midwife care without a GP so if you have any concerns immediately then go to the walk in centre at the hospital.

RLOU30 · 27/02/2019 06:59

If you are moving abroad on a permanent basis, you will no longer be entitled to medical treatment in the UK under normal NHS rules. This is because the NHS is a residence-based healthcare system. Most people will also not be entitled to use a UK-issued EHIC card to access healthcare abroad.

Alison100199 · 27/02/2019 07:00

You choose to live in Egypt and have not contributed to the NHS. Why do you think you are entitled to have your baby for free here? Stay in your country of choice and use their health care system.

Tiredemma · 27/02/2019 07:01

Why can't you access care in Egypt?

meditrina · 27/02/2019 07:01

Childbirth is classed as an emergency procedure and therefore is not billed.

However other treatment may be, and of course you'll need somewhere to live in Britain and a means to pay for yourself and in due course the baby until you are both fit to travel and you have travel documents for the DC

LIZS · 27/02/2019 07:03

You need be ordinarily resident in UK to qualify for free NHS care. Without an address it will be difficult to register with a gp or mw anyway so be prepared to go private and pay accordingly. Why are you so keen to travel so far for this , there must be hospitals nearer where you live and have support. Do you plan to travel back home again before you deliver or spend 4 months here.

HappyDinosaur · 27/02/2019 07:04

Some of the others have hinted at the need to be resident, this was the case for me. I had lived outside UK for a couple of years due to work but came back just before baby was born. They didn't ask that many questions, but needed me to be 'settled' in UK again, e.g. not just popping back for healthcare. This was with a British passport, but they didn't need to see it. They did need my National Insurance number though, do you have one of those?

TeddyIsaHe · 27/02/2019 07:06

I don’t think a one year old chooses to live anywhere actually. What a sorry state the world is in when a British women is being griped at for wanting to have her baby in the UK. At the end of the day we’re all humans, and her having her baby here isn’t going to affect anyone of you. If you’re that worried about the state of the NHS and it not being able to handle one birth, then stop voting Tory. They’re the ones that are going to fuck it irreparably.

Op, get in touch with the NHS in the area you want to come back to and ask them if you need to pay etc. They should be able to let you know what you need to do to get treatment.

Lochroy · 27/02/2019 07:06

Being British doesn't entitle someone to free NHS treatment, it's residency based, so if you are in the UK and paying income tax and NI or with valid exemptions (on benefits, children OAPs etc) you get NHS treatment. You can't take out of the system you haven't paid into, as it were.

If you want to pay the NHS, contact the local trust to find out their fees.

HappyDinosaur · 27/02/2019 07:07

@meditrina I might be wrong but I read it as they can't ask for any costs upfront or not look after you, but they can subsequently come after you for the money if they believe you wouldn't have been entitled to it on the NHS.

PotteringAlong · 27/02/2019 07:07

www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide

Being a British National isn’t enough. You need to be ordinarily resident in the U.K. you’re not, so you can’t use the NHS for free.

ColeHawlins · 27/02/2019 07:09

Childbirth is classed as an emergency procedure and therefore is not billed.

It's billable, it's just that they won't charge up front.

Izzy24 · 27/02/2019 07:10

You need to be a legal resident in the UK for at least 12 months to receive NHS care without charge during pregnancy/birth.

It’s true that care during birth will always be given - but not true that it will not be billed afterwards.

ColeHawlins · 27/02/2019 07:10

What a sorry state the world is in when a British women is being griped at for wanting to have her baby in the UK.

She asked for information. She's being given information. Information isn't griping.

BeeMyBaby · 27/02/2019 07:11

I've looked into this myself, you need to be resident in the uk for 6+ months plus, however, at least in Scotland, if you do not have settled status and have your child and they bill you £2-4k, you can explain that you can't pay and that's it I think.
If you don't have your baby in the uk then your child can't automatically pass their citizenship to their child, unless their child in born in the uk, but if it's a boy and has an Egyptian wife, then that would be very hard to do as the wife would need a visa to have the baby in the uk.

WinterHeatWave · 27/02/2019 07:17

Unless you return to the UK, and settle there for a period, you are NOT entitled to NHS care. British passport or no doesn't determine eligibility, residency does. And that means possibly being asked for tenancy agreements, council tax bills utility bills.
You need insurance or to pay - NHS or private.
I'd contact the hospital where you would intend to birth, and see what they say about it.
Are you intending on living in the UK from 20 weeks pregnant until after baby us born, or flying back and forth?

SeeYouLaterUserData · 27/02/2019 07:21

For free NHS you need to be habitually resident (3 months residency with permanent intent) else you'll be treated but will be billed....that bill will follow you around forever.

meditrina · 27/02/2019 07:23

Maternity care is billable (birth antenatal and post natal)

The actual birth is an emergency, which is free to all (like A&E care is free to all, but treatment in any other department is billable even when directly related to what landed you in A&E.

There is no minimum length of residence to qualify for free care on NHS. You do have to satisfy relevant authorities that you are ordinarily resident - length of time here is a convenient way to do that but , as can be seen from other posts, policies on what will automatically count may vary.