# Pensioners and the NHS



## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

We are both over 65 and pensioners. We needed copies of our S1 forms which were sent to us from the Pension Service with a covering letter.

Maybe this has been dealt with before but there is a paragraph in this letter stating:

"As you will have your healthcare paid for by the UK by means of an S1 in your country of residence, from 6 April 2015 your right to return to England for all treatment, including elective, has been extended. This means you can access NHS treatment in England as if ordinarily resident (this means treatment will be free unless a statutory charge also applies to residents in England, for example prescription charges). You will not need to obtain any kind of authorisation from your country of residence prior to seeking treatment.
These changes will be made in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as soon as practicable after 6 April. You are advised to check your entitlement before seeking treatment in those territories."

This is a change from being barred from seeking treatment in UK after 6 months residence abroad.

Several years ago I listened on line to a previous Chairman of the GP Association, Dr Clare Gerada, telling the HOC Health Committee that she would not dream of asking immigrants if they were entitled to free healthcare but she refused to treat patients whom she knew were resident in Spain. Maybe it was their unhealthy suntan in December and excellent golf swig that gave them away! I was so incensed I found her email address and wrote to her that British expats had contributed all their lives to the NHS but recent immigrants had not. Needless to say I never received a reply.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

One also has to wonder what'll happen to our PT NHS coverage if/when the UK votes for a Brexit?


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## HKG3 (Jan 11, 2015)

travelling-man said:


> One also has to wonder what'll happen to our PT NHS coverage if/when the UK votes for a Brexit?


The question is after Brexit, will the UK remains a member of the EEA (European Economic Area).

If the UK leaves the EU, but stays in the EEA, then health coverage for British Citizens in other EEA countries (EU plus Switzerland / Iceland etc) appears to be identical -

EEA country-by-country guide - Healthcare abroad - NHS Choices

However, if the UK leaves both EU and EEA, then the UK may need to have reciprocal healthcare agreements with EEA countries in order for British Citizens to be covered by state health providers in the EEA.

Non-EEA country-by-country guide - Healthcare abroad - NHS Choices


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