The Sharks Exposed - New Costa del Sol Action Group

WORRIES ABOUT UK HEALTH
CARE RESTRICTIONS
Concern about the availability of health care in
the UK is giving British expats living in Spain
a serious headache. But the Department of
Health says there is not much to worry about
for those who wish to return.
The main criterion for free health care in
Britain is residency, according to a Department
spokesperson, and it doesn’t matter how long
you have been away.
“A UK state pensioner living overseas who
then resumes their permanent residence in
the UK is exempt from charges for all hospital
treatment, including pre-planned treatment,
from day one. They should be prepared to
show evidence to a hospital that they have
returned permanently, “ she said.
“Under the current Regulations, anyone who
is taking up or resuming permanent residence
in the UK is entitled to free National Health
Service (NHS) hospital treatment in England.
If your intention is to live permanently in the
UK you will be exempt from hospital charges
from the date of your arrival in the country
but you will be asked to prove your intention
and that you are legally entitled to live here.
This exemption applies to your spouse, civil
partner and children if they are living here
with you on a permanent basis.
“If you do not have an automatic right to take
up permanent residence but have applied to
the Home Office for leave to enter/remain on
a settled basis, you will be chargeable for
any hospital treatment up to the point your
www.costa-action.co.uk
application is granted. Once you are living in
the UK permanently you will become ordinarily
resident and the charges will cease to apply
to you. Your spouse, civil partner and child will
also be considered ordinarily resident if they
are living permanently in the UK with you and
have the right to do so. If they are not living
permanently in the UK then the regulations
regarding charges will apply and in order to
be entitled to free hospital treatment they
will have to meet one of the categories of
exemption in their own right.
“Regardless of residential status or nationality,
emergency treatment given at a doctor’s
surgery or in Accident and Emergency
departments or a Walk-in Centre providing
services similar to those of a hospital Accident
and Emergency department is always free of
charge,” said the spokesperson.
Entitlement to free health care in the UK has
nothing to do with the taxes you may or may
not have paid in the past. Nationality or past
or present payments of UK taxes and National
Insurance contributions are not taken into
consideration when establishing residence.
The only criteria is whether you ordinarily live
in the UK. Which, of course, by the time you
have returned, you will be doing!
If you have any concerns regarding your
status regarding health care in the UK,
contact the Action Group and we can give you
more information, or direct you to the relevant
Government department
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