How to Find your Local GUM Sexual Health Clinic:
For the address and telephone number of your nearest clinic, look under Venereal Disease, Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) or Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) in the telephone directory. Some health authorities have tape recorded messages giving details of GUM clinics. The numbers of these are also listed in the telephone directory. You can also find where your nearest sexual health clinic is by contacting the following. Health Information Service / NHS Direct Tel. 0800 665544 / 0845 4647 The National Aids Helpline at Healthwise Tel. 0800 567 123 - open 9am - 9pm (for help in foreign languages: 0800 917 2227).
Overseas Visitors' Eligibility to Receive Free Primary Care, available from Department of Health Tel. 020 7210 3000 website www.open.gov.uk/doh/coinh.htm
Entitlement to Free Primary Care
Eligibility to receive free medical treatment is not linked to a person's nationality, or the payment of national insurance contributions or taxes. It is judged on whether a person is ordinarily resident in the UK. If emergency or immediate treatment is necessary the overseas visitor will not be expected to pay. If non-emergency medical treatment is requested, it is at the GP's discretion whether to accept that person on to his or her list for NHS treatment. The GP is entitled to provide non-emergency treatment on a private, fee-paying basis.
Dental Treatment
A dentist has discretion over whether or not to admit a patient on to their list for NHS treatment. There are no temporary resident provisions under General Dental Services Regulations.
Optical Services
Optometrists also have discretion over whether or not, subject to the eligibility criteria detailed in the General Ophthalmic Services Regulations, to accept a patient for an NHS sight test.
Pharmaceutical Services
A pharmacist or doctor may dispense any NHS prescription presented regardless of whether the patient is ordinarily resident or not and NHS charges are payable in the usual way.
Pre-existing Conditions
For pre-existing conditions that will require treatment during time abroad apply by letter enclosing details, supporting medical evidence from your GP and a copy of an E111 to the following address(es):
Department of Health, International Branch Room 512, Richmond House 79 Whitehall London SW1A 2NS Tel. 020 7210 5318.
Northern Ireland, Department of Health and Social Services General Medical and Ophthalmic Services Branch Room 436, Dundonald House Upper Newtownards Road Belfast BT4 3SF Tel. 028 9052 0000.
Entitlement to Free NHS Hospital Treatment
Visitors to the UK are liable for charges for NHS hospital treatment. The health authorities and NHS trusts decide on the amount to charge patients. Charges for NHS treatment depend on the purpose and length of stay of the visit in the UK, and not on the patient's nationality or the payment of National Insurance contributions or tax.
Charges for the following groups are the same as for permanent UK residents: nationals or residents of the European Economic Area; people who have been in the UK for a year; people who have come to the UK for permanent residence or to work or for 'settled purposes' (such as students, fiancés and others) for not less than six months; countries with reciprocal agreements with the UK (see section 'Reciprocal Agreements'); people who are engaged in employment abroad and have had at least ten years continuous residence in the UK; people that are receiving a UK war disablement pension or war widows' pension; those that work for an embassy, consulate or Commonwealth High Commission; however, people who come to the UK as visitors and then take up this type of employment may not be able to get free treatment; Crown Servants, employees of the British Council recruited in the UK, the overseas Development Agency or volunteers under the British Volunteer Programme; members of the UK Armed Forces stationed overseas or a NATO member stationed in the UK; seamen on UK registered ships or offshore workers on the UK section of the Continental Shelf; asylum seekers; prisoners and detainees, and their families; the husband or wife and children (under the age of 16, or under the age of 19 if at school or a college of further education) of any person described above.
The following are always free: emergency out-patient treatment, and emergency in-patient treatment in Northern Ireland (road traffic accidents are an exception for everyone); compulsory psychiatric treatment; diagnosis and treatment for certain communicable diseases; there are no NHS charges for certain district nursing, midwifery or health visiting services, for the emergency ambulance service or for family planning services. Otherwise, patients are interviewed on admission to hospital to establish their right to free treatment. If a patient can answer 'yes' to either of the following questions, they are entitled to free treatment: ˇ Have you been living in the UK for the last 12 months? ˇ Are you or your spouse going to live here permanently? However, NHS staff are not required to ask people for their immigration status, Home Office papers or passport. If you have a problem, contact your local health authority or Community Health Council. If patients are not entitled to free treatment, they will be charged and will usually be asked to pay in advance - this could be very expensive. They should certainly be informed of the charges in advance and get a weekly bill. Patients who are expected to pay will never be refused treatment for emergencies. Any further advice can be sought from the Patient Services Manager at the hospital where treatment has been requested.
Reciprocal Agreements with other Countries
The same charges as for permanent UK residents apply to citizens from the following European Economic Area member states: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The UK also has agreements whereby health care charges for permanent UK residents are reciprocated for nationals of: Anguilla*, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands*, Bulgaria, Channel Islands*, Czech and Slovak Republics, Falkland Islands*, Gibraltar*, Turks and Caicos*, Former Soviet Union (i.e. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kurgizstan, Moldova, Tajikstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine; the agreement does not include Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia), former Yugoslavia* (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro and successor states Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia and Macedonia), Isle of Man*, Malta*, Monserrat*, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, St Helena*, Sweden, Hungary and Iceland. Those countries highlighted with an asterisk can refer patients to the UK where locally treatment is unobtainable.
The following special arrangements also allow certain people from outside of the UK to get some hospital treatment free: visitors from Israel who are entitled to industrial injuries benefits in Israel; Cypriot and Turkish nationals can receive free treatment for illnesses which started in the UK or which are exacerbated during a visit; Norwegian nationals employed on a Norwegian registered ship can have free treatment if they are brought for treatment to the UK.
Reprinted as a guide only. For more info please visit the NHSdirect web site: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/