# Maternity Care on NHS on visitor visa



## Sunderland (Aug 19, 2010)

My wife wants to visit me in the UK and she is currently pregnant. I am a British Citizen and we're married. Would she be entitled to NHS maternity care whilst she is here?

I read here : http://www.medact.org/content/advice august 2007.pdf that they wouldn't deny her cover or demand payment upfront but bill her later, is this correct.

Thanks for any help.


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## Sunderland (Aug 19, 2010)

Further to this. If she got care and didn't pay the charges, would that effect her ability to get a spouse visa at a later date. (she's not 21 until August next year but we don't want to be apart for the next 9 months).


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Your wife shouldn't even think about not paying the medical cost duly incurred if she wants to live in UK as a law-abiding citizen, regardless of whether it will affect her visa application. 

Charging for foreign visitors for medical costs is up to the individual hospital/NHS trust concerned, acting under instruction from Dept of Health. In the present stringent financial constraints, I'd have thought they will be very keen to recover any costs incurred. Only UK residents, and those covered by reciprocal agreement (US isn't party to this) will have their cost covered - in some cases maternity care needs to be arranged in advance. If she needs emergency care, that will be offered free of charge, but only as far as what is done in A&E. Any subsequent costs will be recoverable.


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## Sunderland (Aug 19, 2010)

Joppa said:


> Your wife shouldn't even think about not paying the medical cost duly incurred if she wants to live in UK as a law-abiding citizen, regardless of whether it will affect her visa application.
> 
> Charging for foreign visitors for medical costs is up to the individual hospital/NHS trust concerned, acting under instruction from Dept of Health. In the present stringent financial constraints, I'd have thought they will be very keen to recover any costs incurred. Only UK residents, and those covered by reciprocal agreement (US isn't party to this) will have their cost covered - in some cases maternity care needs to be arranged in advance. If she needs emergency care, that will be offered free of charge, but only as far as what is done in A&E. Any subsequent costs will be recoverable.


Do they allow you to pay it monthly, I didn't mean she would never pay it back, I meant she would have to set up some sort of payment scheme, she can apply for the visa in May (for when she is 21 in August). Baby is due in February.

It's all very hard as she has just lost her job in the USA and will find it hard to meet rent and I've got a house here!


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