Questions about the NHS

[Suki]

Hi there I am from South Africa and am planning to move to the UK shortly. My husband will be going over on the HSMP visa in August and I will follow once he has found a job and a place to live. However we have a question regarding how far he would be covered by the NHS during the period that he is not working. I am aware that once he is working and contributing that he will have full cover but am worried about the in-between period.

I believe he will be covered immediately for any emergencies under the NHS even while he is not working. However, what happens if he needs to go to a doctor or see a specialist? Would he have to pay for those services? Also what would happen if he is admitted to hospital for an emergency and then has to go to a ward after emergency treatment? I have been searching this topic for a while but cannot come up with any definitive answer. I read somewhere that emergency treatment is covered but that it is up to the individual hospital to decide upon the persons resident status and whether they should pay for being in the ward and services during that time...

We are asking these questions because my husband has a medical condition which makes it necessary for him to seek out a neurologist upon arrival and although we don't foresee that he will need hospital treatment, you never know what can happen and it is best to be sure about the situation before he goes. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone can give me some input about the NHS policy towards immigrants who are unemployed.

[Wils & Nance]

Hi Suki,
This is not the answer you want to hear ! But if you were from an EU country you would not have a problem, you would be able to use GP's etc !
The fact that your hubby has a condition that needs monitoring you would be wiser to contact BUPA or possibly HSA for cover before he goes.......a neurologist is high ranking and even us locals would wait months to see one on the NHS.
So better to be safe than sorry !
Good Luck, Nance

[Suki]

Thanks Nance, so it wouldn't even be possible to see a specialist unless he has medical insurance? *sigh* Not really looking for any treatment, my husband is doing fine right now but he does need to look for a good neurologist to make contact with. You also never know what can happen; he could just walk across the road and end up in hospital with some broken bones. So was wondering whether he would be covered even for a normal accident. What does private cover cost per month, just a ballpark figure? I assume BUPA and HSA are good ones?

Another question; once I arrive in the UK I will be unemployed at first, would I be covered by the NHS through my husbands contributions?
Many thanks for your help!

[Wils & Nance]

Hi Suki,
You will be attended to in the event of an accident, no matter where you are from....don't worry about that !
BUPA is the best private treatment you can have....but yes it's quite expensive, not sure of costs but you will have to pay for both of you. And the fact your husband has an ongoing condition it will be more expensive.
It really is the only way he will be able to see a specialist, I'm sorry to tell you this, it is just how the system works.
Google BUPA and they will have an idea of costs on their website and where you can find the specialist closest to you. And they treat you straight away !!!
I recently suffered from kidney stones, blood in my urine, just generally wasn't well, and it took me 18 months to get the treatment I needed......if I had had the money to go private it would have been done in 24hrs ! And i have paid into the nhs all my life.
My mother-in-law has recently been diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma and she has been back and forward to the GP and hospital since december, so there is no rush with the NHS !!!
I do hope you get something sorted, I realise it's such a worry for you...but ultimately it will cost you.
Good Luck, Nance

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Suki

Thanks Nance, so it wouldn't even be possible to see a specialist unless he has medical insurance? *sigh* Not really looking for any treatment, my husband is doing fine right now but he does need to look for a good neurologist to make contact with. You also never know what can happen; he could just walk across the road and end up in hospital with some broken bones. So was wondering whether he would be covered even for a normal accident. What does private cover cost per month, just a ballpark figure? I assume BUPA and HSA are good ones?

Another question; once I arrive in the UK I will be unemployed at first, would I be covered by the NHS through my husbands contributions?
Many thanks for your help!

BUPA back when I last had it it 2001 was about £200 a month for two of us, and when I appled to them for cover in 2006 living in Spain it was over £300. BUPA aren't the only Private Health in the UK so try Googling.

It may be that the Health company will exclude your husbands pre existing condition.

[Suki]

Thank you so much for the info. You have to have private cover in SA otherwise you end up going to government clinics and hospitals which are notoriously understaffed and under equipped. However, here most companies pay half towards your medical aid costs as a perk, which gets you into private clinics and hospitals. Thanks to the ANC, medical aids here may not exclude a person for any pre-existing conditions or charge more because of it!

We were thinking that we would probably have to go for private medical insurance eventually but were hoping to put that off till we find our feet. Didn't realize that it was that bad with the NHS that you cant even see a neurologist within a decent time frame. But definitely not prepared for the news that medical insurances can exlude pre-existing conditions!

Yikes! I will have to start contacting BUPA and others straight away then and find out what the situation is. Scary thought that my husband may be better off in a third world country than in the United Kingdom!

[MichelleAlison]

BUPA will cover existing conditions, but at a price......................... as will most companies.

Here is a link of private medical companies in the UK - Private medical insurance companies : UK listings

Regards

Michelle

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by MichelleAlison

BUPA will cover existing conditions, but at a price......................... as will most companies.

Here is a link of private medical companies in the UK - Private medical insurance companies : UK listings

Regards

Michelle

Thats a helpful list Michelle
I think the pre existing condition thing depends on the condition. I know I had pre existing conditions excluded in the UK, and I wasn't given the choice of paying more.

And the conditions they choose are strange. I had my nose re set after it was broken, and I have had shoulder de compressions. When I signed up with Sanitas here (part of BUPA) they allowed the nose job , but declined anything to do in the future with the shoulder decompressions!!

[MichelleAlison]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

Thats a helpful list Michelle
I think the pre existing condition thing depends on the condition. I know I had pre existing conditions excluded in the UK, and I wasn't given the choice of paying more.

And the conditions they choose are strange. I had my nose re set after it was broken, and I have had shoulder de compressions. When I signed up with Sanitas here (part of BUPA) they allowed the nose job , but declined anything to do in the future with the shoulder decompressions!!

That's interesting. I thought all pre-existing conditions could be covered for a premium. You live and learn.

We have very good cover here in Argentina and they covered my husband's pre-existing medical problems without any extra charge (arthritis and DVT).

[jlms]

Originally Posted by Suki

Thanks Nance, so it wouldn't even be possible to see a specialist unless he has medical insurance? *sigh* Not really looking for any treatment, my husband is doing fine right now but he does need to look for a good neurologist to make contact with. You also never know what can happen; he could just walk across the road and end up in hospital with some broken bones. So was wondering whether he would be covered even for a normal accident. What does private cover cost per month, just a ballpark figure? I assume BUPA and HSA are good ones?

Another question; once I arrive in the UK I will be unemployed at first, would I be covered by the NHS through my husbands contributions?
Many thanks for your help!

Here in the UK you don't normally just decide to go and see a given specialist, if you do this the appointment is not necessarily covered by private insurance (they have to agree in advance to any appointments with any medical consultant).

The procedure is to go and see your GP (General Practitioner, your initial contact with the medical services) who then, after assessing you, can refer you to one. at this point you request this to be made privately, in which case your private insurance procedures kick in, otherwise, depending on the situation, you will be referred to an NHS specialist. For ongoing treatment and monitoring the NHS should be OK, you will get an appointment months in advance but this is OK in many situations.

For emergencies you should not worry, the NHS will always take care of that (as long as you are a legal resident in the UK I think the NHS will treat you, not entirely sure about this, but they don't let people die on the street ).