Going back to UK to give birth

[MatildaGC]

Hello! Does anyone have experience of living abroad and going back to UK just in time to give birth? Namely, will they let you use the NHS or charge you for everything? If so, how much did you pay? I am British but have lived abroad 10 years. I have my UK address still and my NHS number and I'm registered at my GP there in UK. I visit UK every year and have seen a doctor there a couple of times over the years. THANKS !

I came back after 4 years abroad and had to wait until I'd lived in UK 6 months before I could register with a gp. But I guess you can just lie your way through the system op if you come back here for all your antenatal care.

You have a GP in the UK and an address you use. It would seem very odd to have not had your maternity care through your GP surgery unless you suddenly discover you're pregnant when you land on British soil and pretend that you didn't know about the pregnancy. If it's important for your DC to have British nationality by birth, you'll need to factor in being charged for your care and hope that the baby doesn't need time in a neonatal unit.

A woman I know did this, but she split the year between the UK and Turkey so she was never out of the country for longer than 6 months.

Her daughter was born in the UK and they stayed here until the summer when they returned to Turkey.

@DeKraai Thanks for the advice. I live on a small island so if something goes wrong I'll be airlifted to USA. If i get bed rest I could just give birth here (which I'll prob end up doing most likely with the complications of travel at the moment) but I really fancied getting that UK full passport for her!

I lived in Ireland until I was 36 weeks pregnant, moved back to the U.K. and had dd up here on the NHS with no problems.

I was totally honest throughout and there was no question of whether I was entitled to free care or not. I had moved back permanently though, so didn’t have the worry about being caught out.

Lots of midi information and Guedes on this thread:

Citizenship by birth rules: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/461318/childrennbornoutsideetheukksept2015.pdff_

Ordinarily resident for use of nhs: https://datadictionary.nhs.uk/nhss_businessdefinitions/ordinarilyyresident.html

www.gov.uk/government/collections/nhs-visitor-and-migrant-cost-recovery-programme

A little light bedtime reading for you...

@TerribleCustomerCervix there is a reciprocal care arrangement between ROI and the UK. So different for the OP presumably if she is in the US (?)

Just what our NHS needs right now

Hi all. I’m on an Irish passport, with visit visa for Saudi and have been here for the last year (in and out but not the the uk) seeing my husband who works here. I run a small business in the UK which just got tax registered. I’m going back to the uk at 33 weeks to have the baby in the uk. Would I have any problems with NHS for being out of the country? I’m NHS registered and also am at the local gp. Technically I’m not a resident here in Saudi because I only have a visit visa and I have only been able to stay this long here because of extending my visa after 3 months at a time (because of Covid). I’m just nervous as what to expect from the midwives and staff uk side… this is my first baby. We will also be moving to the indefinitely in June

What's a birth cost in the US? Around $20k? Cesearan no doubt more

Since the OP is talking about her daughter getting UK citizenship it sounds as though this is more than a casual enquiry! Interesting to tie this thread with another currently on MN about the strain on maternity services. I would dig deep OP and go private

Our midwifery services are under extraordinary strain so I'm not certain why anyone would want to volunteer to come back to have their baby here. Given that you have been out of the country for 10 years I would expect there to be a charge, it's not free, we are all paying for it via tax so it would be reasonable to expect.you to pay.

Your child will automatically be entitled to British citizenship and can apply for passport by virtue of being born to a parent with British citizenship (provided you have the right to pass on your citizenship). The only difference is that your child cannot pass this onto their children automatically if their own children are born outside the Uk.

Automatic right to British Citizenship needs to end at some point and your children may end up with very little to no ties to the UK. Alternatively, perhaps they will live here and have their children here so it is a non-issue!
It seems like you would be putting yourself in a potentially precarious position financially and ethically, as well as unnecessarily stressful and risking travel late in pregnancy over what's a non-issue.

Regarding the citizenship, I would get in touch with your consulate. They will be able to give you tailored advice. Unless someone here on the board has been in similar circumstances quite recently, I don't think this can be answered here.

Good luck!

Seems a bit cheeky to return to give birth. I think the overstretched NHS need to get tough on this.

Bit of a piss take really

I'm sure you're already accessing services you aren't entitled to for free, why stop now?

You should pay for care.

You should read the thread in pregnancy board by a midwife about quite how dire the situation is already without non-residents - I appreciate you feel a right to come back but I’m already nervous having a baby here, it wasn’t easy with my last either as such a shortage of staff no one offered me pain relief or a room

This is the thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/4388990-Midwifery-staffing-crisis
Wishing you well with your pregnancy and I hope it goes smoothly

NHS is a residence based system. You can have a full NI record and still be a higher rate UK taxpayer but if you live abroad you do not qualify for NHS treatment. You can never have paid a penny in UK NI and tax but you get free treatment if you are resident in UK.

But giving birth will be considered a medical emergency so you should be treated free at the point at which you receive the service. NHS should usually recoup the costs from your overseas health insurance - but whether they actually bother is a moot point.

@Viviennemary

Seems a bit cheeky to return to give birth. I think the overstretched NHS need to get tough on this.

Get tough on these pregnant women. Yup, they are the cause of all our woes.

Given a choice of private care in Saudi, or the NHS, I'd take Saudi every time.

The OP was posted last year.

@WhiskyXray you’ve heard of NHS health tourism I take it?

[quote bigbeautwoman]@WhiskyXray you’ve heard of NHS health tourism I take it?[/quote]
Yep, I got accused of it by the ignorant racist receptionist last time I tried (in vain) to get a GP appointment.👍

She didn't know about the NHS surcharge I pay (on top of NI).