NHS Service for Overseas Visitors Non-EEA

[asimkfarooq]

Hi All,

I have a question if anyone can help?
My mother came to UK on 2 years visit visa from Pakistan, I took her to my local GP and they registered her as NHS patient with NHS number saying that she has long term visit visa so she can be registered.

She once had checkup with doctor there and then we took couple of prescriptions from her from doctor which were free since she is over 60.
She stayed only for 3 months and left back.
Now I have a Question:

1- Was she entitled to free NHS registration if she had long term visit visa or she is over 60 years old? I am asking because we the resident permit holders pay £200 per year as health surcharge then how come visitor can have free NHS treatment? I recently asked My GP and they still say she is over 60 years so she is entitled for free checkup and prescription?

2- I have to apply her new visit visa so there is a Question there which asks if you used NHS service or not. If I say NO then its deception, if I say YES then will they not say that she was not entitled for free service?

3- I asked my GP that I want to pay the prescription and your charges, they said call NHS prescription services, I called them and they said she has nothing to pay since she is over 60.

I believe that this GP and NHS guys are not understanding my point, home office will ask for payment receipts which I do not have.
They will raise a Question that why did she take free prescriptions even they are very few.

Please advise how to approach this? I asked one lawyer and he was also not sure.
Please help.

Regards
Asim Farooq

[apsk]

Hi All,

I have a question if anyone can help?
My mother came to UK on 2 years visit visa from Pakistan, I took her to my local GP and they registered her as NHS patient with NHS number saying that she has long term visit visa so she can be registered.

She once had checkup with doctor there and then we took couple of prescriptions from her from doctor which were free since she is over 60.
She stayed only for 3 months and left back.
Now I have a Question:

1- Was she entitled to free NHS registration if she had long term visit visa or she is over 60 years old? I am asking because we the resident permit holders pay £200 per year as health surcharge then how come visitor can have free NHS treatment? I recently asked My GP and they still say she is over 60 years so she is entitled for free checkup and prescription?

2- I have to apply her new visit visa so there is a Question there which asks if you used NHS service or not. If I say NO then its deception, if I say YES then will they not say that she was not entitled for free service?

3- I asked my GP that I want to pay the prescription and your charges, they said call NHS prescription services, I called them and they said she has nothing to pay since she is over 60.

I believe that this GP and NHS guys are not understanding my point, home office will ask for payment receipts which I do not have.
They will raise a Question that why did she take free prescriptions even they are very few.

Please advise how to approach this? I asked one lawyer and he was also not sure.
Please help.

Regards
Asim Farooq

You are right, NHS doesnt understand all this it seems. As I understand it is not free for visitors but still you can phone Home office and check without taking any references to yourself or your mother. Ask for future rather than referring to past.

[CR001]

She should be paying 150% of the NHS costs. It is NOT free if in the UK as a visitor.

general-uk-immigration-forum/review-of- ... l#p1459754

[asimkfarooq]

She should be paying 150% of the NHS costs. It is NOT free if in the UK as a visitor.

general-uk-immigration-forum/review-of- ... l#p1459754

Thanks, do you know which NHS dept to chase for payment of prescription? What to do? Please advise. Thanks

[asimkfarooq]

She should be paying 150% of the NHS costs. It is NOT free if in the UK as a visitor.

general-uk-immigration-forum/review-of- ... l#p1459754

Also NHS archive website says:

As part of the Home Office measures for the UK, anyone owing the NHS £1,000 or more will not be allowed to enter or remain in the UK until the debt is paid off. It is hoped that the £1,000 threshold, which will be implemented later this year, will capture 94 per cent of outstanding charges owed to the NHS.

So my mother prescription cost is < £1000, still I have to pay? If yes then how? That is something I am trying to figure out. Please help. Thanks

[asimkfarooq]

She should be paying 150% of the NHS costs. It is NOT free if in the UK as a visitor.

general-uk-immigration-forum/review-of- ... l#p1459754

Please read this: found it on the below link and then please advise.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170310034 ... -debt-nhs/

It might also be useful to give a list of the most common groups of people who are not “overseas chargeable patients”:

Those in the UK with valid visas of more than six months
Asylum seekers and refugees
Prisoners and immigration detainees
EEA nationals and their family members
Nationals of countries with whom the UK has reciprocal health agreements – a list of current 17 countries is given at pages 89 and 90 of the guidance.
If you are not an “overseas chargeable patient” then you cannot incur an NHS debt in the first place and so cannot be refused entry on this

[apsk]

She should be paying 150% of the NHS costs. It is NOT free if in the UK as a visitor.

general-uk-immigration-forum/review-of- ... l#p1459754

Please read this: found it on the below link and then please advise.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170310034 ... -debt-nhs/

It might also be useful to give a list of the most common groups of people who are not “overseas chargeable patients”:

Those in the UK with valid visas of more than six months
Asylum seekers and refugees
Prisoners and immigration detainees
EEA nationals and their family members
Nationals of countries with whom the UK has reciprocal health agreements – a list of current 17 countries is given at pages 89 and 90 of the guidance.
If you are not an “overseas chargeable patient” then you cannot incur an NHS debt in the first place and so cannot be refused entry on this

But it clearly states anyone on visitor visa is an overseas chargeable patient. Please see a paragraph above the one you stated above.