Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Not living in uk but risk giving birth in uk

48 replies

apachepony · 03/12/2012 02:35

I have british passport but am not living in the uk, but intend to be in the uk for 4-5 days over the holidays visiting family. I will be 37 weeks pregnant. It's suddenly just struck me - if I go into labour will I be landed with a massive nhs bill? I don't know how i didn't think of this before.... Damn i don't want to have to rearrange my entire holiday plans!!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:08

"Going into labour 3 weeks before due date is an emergency"
erm no it's not! you're full term 3 weeks before due date so a baby isn't prem and its not unexpected.

Going into labour PRIOR to 3 weeks before your due date, yes, but from 37 weeks on it could be any day and it's not "early"

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:09

(but she wouldn't be turned away, just sayin that from 37 weeks on it's "any day now" and "full term")

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:10

by that I mean its no more an emergency than 38,39,40,41 weeks!
still needs to be seen and would be IMO, but its not really any different to going into labour at any other time during your full term labour

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:11

bleugh! can't get a sensible sentance out tonight "during your full term labou" = during your full term window

brettgirl2 · 03/12/2012 19:15

Oh come on I know as many people who have gone into labour at 36 as 37 weeks. Hardly anyone goes into labour then. If you tell yourself 'any day' at 37 weeks you will be disappointed.

Its ridiculous to suggest that the op shouldnt be allowed to come to the uk when she may possibly go into labour. A million brits go to spain get pissed and expect treatment for their broken noses.

There was a portugeuse lady in when I had my first who hardly spoke a word of English, I doubt she was usually resident.

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:18

I'm not suggesting she can't come
just that 37 weeks is full term. if data is the plural of anecdote then I actually know more people to have babies on their 37th week than on their actual due date. It is not an unexpected event for a woman who is 9 months and 1 week pregnant to have a baby!!

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:20

and it would not be a premature birth!

MrsMerryMeeple · 03/12/2012 19:26

Take a look at any other (non-state funded) insurance you have. Private healthcare insurance and most travel insurance wont cover pregnancy costs past about 26 weeks. We had to take out special travel insurance to cover us when we flew to the UK at 28 weeks, even though the airlines were fine with it. Just saying, if you have other insurance, it might very well not cover you for this, so check before relying on it.

VivaLeBeaver · 03/12/2012 19:27

Although its full term I would have thought that because there is no intention of giving birth here then Op wouldn't be billed. Its not like coming overe here for a gynae op. Hospital would have to prove that there was intent to stay here until going into labour which would be so difficult it wouldn't be worth their time.

I remember having to tell a Canadian woman on the post natal ward that our finance dept were intending to bill her. For about 2k. Had to give her lots of forms to fill out, she was very upset. She lived in the UK but only for about 10 months.

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:39

from dept of health website?
^"Who does not have to pay for their hospital treatment?

There are some services that are free of charge to everyone:

Emergency treatment given inside an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, a minor injuries unit or a NHS Walk-in Centre (emergency treatment given after admission to the hospital is not free to all);
Treatment for certain infectious diseases, including sexually transmitted infections (excluding HIV/AIDS where it is only the first diagnosis and connected counselling sessions that are free to everyone);
Compulsory psychiatric treatment;
Family planning services.
Overseas visitors are charged for other hospital treatment unless they themselves are exempt. Some exemption categories cover all NHS hospital treatment, others only cover some treatment."^

do you think having the actual baby comes under "family planning services"?

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:40

I guess it doesn't come under that if the canadian woman was charged, or was she just charged for the post natal bed and not the actuall attendance of labour (because 2K actually sounds a pretty low amt if it's for everything rather than just the ward bed!)

brettgirl2 · 03/12/2012 19:49

What is your agenda baubles? She has a european health card and is entitled to emergency treatment during her time in the UK. As viva says she isnt deliberately coming to the uk for treatment. She is not an 'overseas visitor' but an eu national.

According to your logic no one with a pre existing condition should be allowed to travel anywhere. DH goes abroad, he may have an asthma attack while he is there!?

brettgirl2 · 03/12/2012 19:51

And Mrs merry is right in terms of additional insurance cover over and above basics.

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:52

agenda? I've posted the facts direct from the department of health for the OP to see for herself, how can I have an "agenda"? it is what it is and the OP can now read through that for herself! I don't make the rules

I disagree with YOU however about 37 weeks being "early" and any more of an emergency than 40 weeks!

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 19:54

brettgirl2 If I were to say "you should come and you should get full free treatment OP" - that wouldn't make it so! it doesn't actually matter to the OP what we think she should get, it matters to her what she would get! its best that she has the correct info rather than a load of people posting that they think she should/shouldn't!

brettgirl2 · 03/12/2012 19:55

But if you are 40 weeks you know that you are going into labour in the next 2 weeks. At 37 its the next 5. If you get to 40 then statistically you are MUCH more likely to go into labour in the next week.

For the second time she is an EU national NOT an overseas visitor

brettgirl2 · 03/12/2012 19:56

For the third time she is NOT an overseas visitor!!!!!!

You are not an expert any more than I am

fraktion · 03/12/2012 20:00

The EHIC will cover it. I was in the opposite situation (sort of) and countries with reciprocal agreements sort it between themselves. Sounds like the OP is in Ireland so I'd try to nip back across the border and be very cautious about travelling in the first place.

Got to say a 3-4 hour drive at that point in pregmancy would probably be a no for me!

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 20:06

"You are not an expert any more than I am"
no and that's why I posted the dept of health link not my opinion
and the overseas visitors information page INCLUDES info for people who live in Europe if you bothered to read it!

Northernlurker · 03/12/2012 20:06

I think if the op has for example booked return ferry crossings then it will be plain enough that she did not arrive in the UK intending to give birth but was rather overtaken by events in the few days she was here. Coming to see family at Christmas is hardly unusial or suspcious I repeat, though she shoul get the view of the finance department at the hospital concerned. Then she can relax.

baublesandbaileys · 03/12/2012 20:07

actually, the statistics were linked on here a while ago but I don't have them to hand, and I think by 40 weeks you were something like 37% likely to have already had the baby before that!

DontmindifIdo · 03/12/2012 20:11

Depending on the hospital, you might be presented with a bill if you can't provide evidence you are entitled to NHS treatment. I started my medical treatment with DS in SE London and was asked to provide evidence, but in Kent (where we had moved by the time I went into labour) noone ever asked. It really can just depend if it's a hospital that has a lot of overseas paitents (they do tend to make an effort to check)

Get great travel insurance just in case. I also wouldn't want to travel that late, I had DS at 38 weeks. 37 week is term.

Original poster

apachepony · 04/12/2012 21:56

Thanks all for the advice. I am indeed in Ireland and so googled the ehic on an irish website - looks like there's a special arrangement in place where we don't even have to have an ehic to avail of medical treatment during temporary visits to uk. Might come back a day earlier than planned, which would mean I'll just be in uk for 2 days past the 37 week mark. Really want to see family, even though it's a long enough journey at that stage and part of the journey up will be by bus as trains not running - not looking forward to it! Return journey will be by train (if I'm not in labour, ha!)

OP posts:

Flip

1 2