Can I leave the country while on sick leave (to get medical treatment)??

[MrsHuxtable]

I have suffered from hyperemesis for the last 3 weeks, have been on sick leave just as long and am signed off for at least another 4 weeks. I had a short hospital stay last weekend and while the staff were friendly, the rest of my hospital stay was horrendous. The hospital is in the process of moving so maybe that is part of the chaos.

I am originally from another European country, where I still have excellent health insurance and after a phone call to a consultant friend there, I was assured that my care there would be handled a lot differently. He told me to get on a flight and he'd admitt me to hospital under his care immediately. My mum, who has been getting increasingly worried, is also living right next to said hospital.

Anyway, I booked that flight for tomorrow but now it has occured to me that I might be doing something illegal...
Is it ok to leave the country while on sick leave? If it can be proven to be for medical treatment and not a holiday? Do i have to tell someone or would it be better to just keep quiet? I don't mind losing my sick pay if that means I can travel but obv I can't lose my job...

Any ideas anyone??? TIA

Yes you can leave the country.

Thank godness. How do you know this??

I'm confused as to why you think you might not be able to leave the country?

In my old job I used to pay a lot of employees who were foreign. When they were on long term sick I used to get sick notes from abroad and pay ssp based on them. I rang the Hmrc to check if this was ok and they were absolutly ok with it. You are not doing anything illegal

I have managed people who have done this.

Thank you everyone. That's one less worry.

iskra - I'm a worrier, that's why. And I've recently had problems with my boss (pregnancy related) and I know he's just waiting for a chance to get rid of me. I seemed to remember something that sick pay is a form of benefit and you need to stay in the country to receive benefits. But I am obviously happy to be wrong in this case.

There is an emoyment issues section if you want some advice from HR bods