Providing
treatment for patients from abroad
Basic
information relating to the eligibility for primary care treatment
for visitors from overseas is contained in Health Service Circular
HSC 1999/018, although this has been modified by subsequently issued
DoH guidelines.
There
are two types of overseas visitors - those on holiday or short visits
of up to 6 months, and those who can be classed as 'ordinarily resident',
i.e. in the UK for more than 6 months.
Those
in the UK for up to 6 months from anywhere worldwide are entitled
to free primary care treatment that a GP or other clinician determines
is "immediately necessary". Persons visiting from the European
Economic Area are also entitled to free routine or ongoing primary
care services provided they can produce a Form E112, E119, E128 or
the new EHIC (European Health Insurance Card); or a passport only
for Irish nationals.
Those
persons who satisfy the 'ordinarily resident' rules are entitled to
free primary care, and this includes asylum seekers and refugees (for
whom there are no residency time limits).
Practices
can accept an overseas visitor for primary care treatment as a temporary
resident (typically for short-term visitors), or can accept visitors
onto the Practice's list (this would usually be the case for visitors
who satisfy the 'ordinarily resident' rules). Practices can provide,
on a private fee basis, any treatment to which visitors are not entitled
to receive free of charge.
The most
up to date guidance is contained in the following documents:
BMA/GPC
guidance: Treatment
of overseas visitors (April 2006)
DoH
Guidance: EU
enlargement and overseas visitors' rights to primary care treatment
in the UK
Providing treatment for patients from abroad (Scotland)
This document is available: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/14162503/0
There
is a draft Patients from abroad (entitlements
to treatment) procedure in the Patient & Community Services index of the Members
Library.
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are not a Member, click
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Asylum
seekers and refugees
Information
about providing treatment for asylum seekers and refugees
