NHS / Health Care Provision for Visitors to UK?

gollywood · Post by **gollywood** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:43 pm

Hi,

Soon my sister in law & her 2 children (8 & 10) shall be visiting the UK for a holiday.

Whilst they are fit, healthy people, what would happen if they needed to see a doctor (e.g for flu or infection etc etc). Is there a cost? Where do they register? Can they can they register? And so on.

What if they are involved in an accident - can we call for an ambulance or take them to A&E.

I have absolutely NO idea what the implications are for a visitor.

Thanks

frances2 · Post by **frances2** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:18 pm

If they are visitors ie tourists on a visitor visa, they have no right to NHS healthcare. They will need to take out private health insurance, which is ussually part of travel insurance. Just the same way if someone from the UK went to visit outside the EU.

gollywood · Post by **gollywood** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:36 pm

Thanks frances.

How does that work? Take out insurance cover in Pakistan, then take your 'cover note' to any GP or hospital?

Next question - what if Private Health insurance is not available from their own country. Would they have to take it out here?

I seriously doubt its available in Pakistan......although we will look into it of course.

thirdwave · Post by **thirdwave** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:40 pm

gollywood wrote:Thanks frances.

How does that work? Take out insurance cover in Pakistan, then take your 'cover note' to any GP or hospital?

Next question - what if Private Health insurance is not available from their own country. Would they have to take it out here?

I seriously doubt its available in Pakistan......although we will look into it of course.

I think the ECO might want to see some kind of health insurance before he issues a visa..You might want to ask someone on the Tier 1 forum about it as there is a EC thread from Pakistan on there..

Having said that, they DO NOT need insurance to access emergency care through NHS (which is what I suspect you are after).If they (god forbid) suddenly fall ill, they would be seen in A&E free of charge..

Markie · Post by **Markie** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:33 pm

not quite free Im afraid...even for emergency cases. I know of one person who just happened to be visiting her daughter here in the UK. Unfortunately, she had a heart attack whilst here and was rushed to A&E.

Since it requires urgent attention, they accomodated the visitor in the intensive unit and 2 days later whilst she ws recovering out comes the charges for the services...a whopping Â£2k/day.

Best recourse is to have insurance cover.

thirdwave wrote:
gollywood wrote:Thanks frances.

How does that work? Take out insurance cover in Pakistan, then take your 'cover note' to any GP or hospital?

Next question - what if Private Health insurance is not available from their own country. Would they have to take it out here?

I seriously doubt its available in Pakistan......although we will look into it of course.
I think the ECO might want to see some kind of health insurance before he issues a visa..You might want to ask someone on the Tier 1 forum about it as there is a EC thread from Pakistan on there..

Having said that, they DO NOT need insurance to access emergency care through NHS (which is what I suspect you are after).If they (god forbid) suddenly fall ill, they would be seen in A&E free of charge..

gollywood · Post by **gollywood** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:50 pm

Thanks for the advice so far - real eye opener.

Explains why my brother in law refused to visit us a couple of years ago - he said 'What sort of country is this where you can die waiting to see a doctor'

They pay for treatment in Pakistan - but its affordable for all.

Will explore this health insurance issue. Dont want to be embarrased if they (god forbid) need treatment.

gollywood · Post by **gollywood** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:04 pm

http://www.norway.org.pk/visa/insurance ... 230606.htm

Found a list of health/travel insurance companies that you need to get cover from when travelling to Norway.

Thanks to me for finding that

paulp · Post by **paulp** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:21 pm

gollywood wrote:Explains why my brother in law refused to visit us a couple of years ago - he said 'What sort of country is this where you can die waiting to see a doctor'

They pay for treatment in Pakistan - but its affordable for all.

Then, your brother in law must refuse to go to America, Europe, etc.

gollywood · Post by **gollywood** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:58 pm

paulp wrote:
Then, your brother in law must refuse to go to America, Europe, etc.

No one has ever invited him to come to those countries

frances2 · Post by **frances2** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:58 am

gollywood wrote:Thanks for the advice so far - real eye opener.

Explains why my brother in law refused to visit us a couple of years ago - he said 'What sort of country is this where you can die waiting to see a doctor'

They pay for treatment in Pakistan - but its affordable for all.

Will explore this health insurance issue. Dont want to be embarrased if they (god forbid) need treatment.

It is absolutely the norm to acquire health insurance before visiting any foreign country. Why should anybody expect a foreign country to pay for their medical expenses.

It's beginning to sound more like your visitors are potential health tourists.

As for you stating that "health care is affordable to all in Pakistan" What a load of rubbish.....

Post by **John** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:14 am

What if they are involved in an accident - can we call for an ambulance or take them to A&E.

Or indeed, just collapsed in the street for no apparent reason? Just what are visitors to the UK entitled to?

So someone calls 999 and the ambulance duly arrives. Treatment at the scene .... free! They are then transported to the A&E department in the local hospital ... free! They are then treated in that A&E department ... free! But then they need to be transferred to a Ward and/or a Theatre ... not free! In other words, just when it starts to get really expensive the need to pay kicks in.

So course any visitor to the UK needs to take out travel insurance, including adequate medical cover.

paulp · Post by **paulp** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:18 am

gollywood wrote:Next question - what if Private Health insurance is not available from their own country. Would they have to take it out here?

I seriously doubt its available in Pakistan......although we will look into it of course.

After rereading this thread, I think the question just begs to be asked: "What sort of country is that where you can't get travel insurance?"

gollywood · Post by **gollywood** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:52 pm

paulp wrote:
gollywood wrote:Next question - what if Private Health insurance is not available from their own country. Would they have to take it out here?

I seriously doubt its available in Pakistan......although we will look into it of course.
After rereading this thread, I think the question just begs to be asked: "What sort of country is that where you can't get travel insurance?"

Good question!

But I have been working on it - sent out a batch of emails and recvd a couple of replies already.

Its an emerging industry apparently. But it is available (to allay your fears)

Post by **John** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:02 pm

Do look carefully at the amount of medical cover being provided. My wife comes from Thailand. Her parents were going to visit us. BUPA(Thailand) have a policy (OK had a policy, this was about 5 years ago, don't know the current situation) and the limit of the medical cover was 250000 baht ... about Â£4000! Needless to say that policy was not bought.

I managed to find an international policy from here in the UK, to cover them while they were here, but it was not cheap ..... noticeably dearer than policies available to UK residents when they travel abroad.

Don't overlook a further aspect of this. You don't just need a policy to cover your visitors while they are in the UK. You want one to cover the journey as well. What if taken ill while in mid-flight .... plane has to land mid-journey .... the cost of that could be horrendous. And yes this does happen! A few years ago ..... flight I was on from Spain to the UK .... someone had a heart attack mid flight .... plane made emergency in France ... French paramedics waiting for the plane to land ..... regretfully they could not save him. But body removed from plane, the (now) widow also stayed in France, as did one of the Stewardesses. The rest of us waited for more fuel to be loaded, before continuing journey to the UK.

In my opinion totally irresponsible to travel internationally without adequate Travel Insurance.

gollywood · Post by **gollywood** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:44 pm

Thatnks JOhn - that a real eye-opener.

vinay shanthi · Post by **vinay shanthi** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:35 pm

gollywood wrote:Hi,

Soon my sister in law & her 2 children (8 & 10) shall be visiting the UK for a holiday.

Whilst they are fit, healthy people, what would happen if they needed to see a doctor (e.g for flu or infection etc etc). Is there a cost? Where do they register? Can they can they register? And so on.

What if they are involved in an accident - can we call for an ambulance or take them to A&E.

I have absolutely NO idea what the implications are for a visitor.

Thanks

see link for answers http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Enti ... /index.htm

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NHS / Health Care Provision for Visitors to UK?

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