[Tia Maria]

As I'll be going back to the UK for a visit I checked out what the situation was with medical care.

I contacted a local doctor's and they said as I wasn't resident in the UK, I would need to pay private fees:

Consultation: £45
Prescription: £10

Visits to the A&E and hospital are free.

Hopefully we won't need any medical care, but as I am going with a young baby so I thought I'd better check.

Cheers

Tia

[neilw71]

Wow !! Glad we won't be going back anytime soon!

We were paying $45 per visit in Howick and then changed to a local Onehunga Medical Centre - now its $15 during the week and $3/prescription!! Bargain

Neil

[Moorf]

When we lived in Scotland and visited our folks in Sussex we used to use my parent's Dr's surgery and just say we lived "out of the area" and never got charged - all they used to ask for was my parents address!

;)

[Tia Maria]

Moorf wrote:

and just say we lived "out of the area" and never got charged

"out of the area" - what a great euphemism for the other side of the world!

I might try that one, but I'm not sure I could keep a straight face.

Cheers

Tia

[Milliemoo]

Aye, right enough. I never realised that.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/GettingTreatmentAroundTheWorld/OtherReciprocalAgreements/OtherAgreementsByCountry/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4114808&chk=Znil%2BO#6004383

So the moral of the story is....if you don't feel well in the UK, wait till it gets serious then you get treatment for free :D

Milliemoo x

[westies]

Hi There
As far as I was aware NHS is free including GP visits, for NZ residents, it's a reciprocal agreement. I worked for a GP in the UK up until last March and thats how it was then, unless things have changed in the last 12 months or so!! The site mentioned before is charges for UK nationals visiting NZ! not the other way around.

[Milliemoo]

Apologies, here's the right link :nice1

http://www.nzembassy.com/info.cfm?CFID=402&CFTOKEN=86934083&c=14&l=56&s=nz&p=607

"New Zealand has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the United Kingdom for the provision of urgent medical treatment for emergency conditions that arise during a stay in the UK. The agreement covers anyone who is ordinarily a resident and a citizen of New Zealand – regardless of nationality – and treatment will be provided on the same terms as for UK residents.

However this does not extend to routine, non-emergency treatment from a GP or dentist. You will normally have to pay for these services, as well as a charge for any medicines you need. If you have come to the UK specifically for medical treatment you will have to pay for it."

Milliemoo