A British S1 covers both too.
Yes ,it covers both country of residence and the UK; the later had to be fought for during the Brexit negotiations. May was trying to deprive access to the NHS for us âcitizens of nowhereâ.
If I get an Austrian S1 I will have access to treatment in France, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. I have also worked in Switzerland and I read for my Doctorate in Germany. I wont have access to the NHS, but then I never travel there and have zero intention to return.
I donât think the UK S1 covers other than country of residence and S1 issuing country.
That is certainly my understanding.
OH and I are in France permanently and our Healthcare is via our UK issued S1 linked into CPAM etc⌠blah blah blahâŚ
We both also have our UK issued EHIC.. which covers us in the same way when we go to another EU country etc etc ⌠(and if we go back to UK)
âany of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, UK â
Apply for the UK issued cards, if youâre already on UK S1
I tried applying for an S1 and after a long winded exchange of emails I was told that if I wanted to proceed I would lose all rights to healthcare in the UK. Seems strange because I know people in similar circumstances to me and they still retain rights to health care under the NHS after getting their Carte Vitale in France. Does anyone know if I have to give up NHS care in the UK if I proceed with the S1 or have I been given wrong information by the UK.
I think (but may be corrected) that if you have a pre brexit TDS (Art50 TUE) then you do retain the right to use the NHS when you claim an S1. A post brexit CDS may be different.
I think Hairbear means a pre Brexit CDS in the first part of his post.
It felt quite scary getting a letter saying youâd given up your right to UK healthcare, but it seems to be meaningless. Hubby has pre Brexit CDS and an S1 , which he showed ( though no one asked to see it) when he had need of hospital treatment in the UK and , yep, it was all fine. With an S1 the UK are actually paying for your healthcare in France.
That no one asks for evidence of entitlement undoubtedly leads to those not entitled to it getting NHS treatment ( other than simply emergency treatment). Actually, I know it does.
Also, the GOV.uk website says that if you were to move back to the UK your NHS entitlement would resume:
If you are a UK national living abroad and are returning to live in the UK, you will be able to use the NHS for your healthcare.
Well spotted. Exactly what I meant.
Edit: Corrected.
This link seems to make it clear that you can get NHS treatment while visiting.
I think the NHS could tighten up on checking eligibility. I do know of several young antipodeans who frequently get free NHS that they are certainly not entitled to.
Id cards or a Carte Vitale type card could resolve this.
Everyone present on UK soil is entitled to emergency NHS treatment for free. If thatâs what theyâre getting then thatâs fine. Otherwise no.
I know about the emergency treatment and I think thatâs humane.
But no, these people I met when travelling were bragging about how easy it was to get quite costly treatment. Iâm guessing removing a cancerous growth isnât cheap.
Both times I have been to hospitals in UK in recent years i have been asked about my eligibility to treatment - and a big sign over the reception desk saying that too. So I guess your antipodeans just lied.
Iâm sure they did. I must say Iâve never seen the signs in hospitals, itâs a good idea, but also depends on honesty. As there is no requirement to carry any ID in the UK, itâs difficult to know how they get around this.
One has an NHS number which is used by hospitals to bill the providers? (The budget holders)
If one previously lived in UK one would have an NHS number, and if you never informed them you left it will still be there somewhere.
Depends where it is.
Bit is it a significant problem? Is there health tourism for example. The NHS has a lot, a lot of challenges and with an ageing population and ever more expensive drugs and treatments where to spend needs to be decided upon very carefully.
Does it make financial sense to introduce controls?
I vaguely remember hearing anecdotally that France did so some decades ago because of the cost of North African health tourism. It may have been one of the drivers of the CV.
People who arrive in UK with a visitor visa should have been charged the NHS foreign fee in advance, and asked to have insurance, so it is just those able to wander in and out of the UK at will. Which I presume is an increasingly small number?
But the major health tourism is probably the very wealthy visitors to Londonâs hugely expensive private hospitals and clinics - so they pay their way.
1 Like
The Australianâs I encountered had indeed lived in the UK before emigrating and becoming Australian citizens 10 years ago.