NHS - Medical Exemption Card

[tehminamazher]

Hi Moderators/ Seniors,



Just a bad news, husband was pre diabetic. Today he went to the surgery and doctor said to him he is diabetic now and prescribed him medication for diabetes and high cholesterol. Doctor also filled in the form and told him that he will receive a NHS prescription exemption card in post as he is now diabetic.

We all the family are now literally confused as whether this will effect our immigration status and are not sure whether it constitutes as a breach of the immigration rules as when we were initialiy granted the HSMP visas, it was clearly written "No recourse to public funds".

I will be extremely thankful if some one clarifies whether NHS exemption card will constitute a public fund and if yes , what my husband should do now? (he is a main applicant also)

Thanks in advance.

TM

[Amber]

The Department for Health has its own rules on whether people who are not ordinarily
resident in the UK can receive free NHS treatment. NHS treatment does not count as public
funds for the purposes of the Immigration Rules whether it is paid or unpaid.

[tehminamazher]

Thanks Amber,

What I understood from the information you have posted is that he can receive free diabetic medicines and it will have no effect on our ILR application as it will not count as a public fund.

Thanks in advance , if you can just reconfirm so that we have a sigh of relief.

TM

[Amber]

Indeed, it won't breach the no recourse to public funds attachment.

[tehminamazher]

Thank you Amber for the clarification.

Amber rocks, Immigrationboards.com rocks.

[silverline]

contributory benefits (benefit linked to your NI) do NOT come under the definition of "public funds" hence doesn't cause breach of immigration rules.

Contributory benefits are of various types such as Maternity Allowance/SMP, SSP, Contribution based - JSA, NHS etc.

[Amber]

The NHS is not a contributory benefit. A contribution based benefit is one which you are entitled to because you have made sufficient NI contributions and is generally non-means tested.