6 ms·

That seems bizarre — you’re much more likely to be able to get it privately in India or Thailand or any other country that has good healthcare for the rich and

That seems bizarre — you’re much more likely to be able to get it privately in India or Thailand or any other country that has good healthcare for the rich and few qualms about allowing people to buy in private stock. Much easier to pay $500 to a private clinic in Mumbai than fly to the West and hope that you can convince the state to provide it

robjan 6y ago
The state will not provide it to non-residents. As soon as you arrive in the UK, immigration stamps "no recourse to public funds" in black all-caps into your passport as a friendly reminder.
- dTal 6y ago
  In this specific instance, you're probably right that there will be paperwork. However, in general, acute healthcare in free in the UK and does not even require ID. I don't know if that's how it's "meant" to be, but that's how it is; if you're on vacation in the UK and something bad happens, you can just turn up at the nearest hospital and it will get sorted out, no bill no fuss.
  - peteretep 6y ago
    How it’s “meant” to be is that you’re asked for where you’re registered, and your NHS records are pulled up, and if you’re not registered at a GP practice or in the NHS system you get a bill
    - improbable22 6y ago
      But I think there are some exceptions for communicable diseases, which they will treat without attempting to bill you. I doubt vaccination would fall under that but don't really know.
    - dTal 6y ago
      That's not what happens, though. You can just say "I'm not registered with a GP" (and many people aren't), and you will still be treated - no bill.
      - robjan 6y ago
        If you aren't registered with a GP and have no records at the hospital there are other ways to check, for instance your National Insurance records. It's not easy to get away without paying if you are an ineligible person.
    - physicsguy 6y ago
      That's not the case. There's no such thing as a single NHS records system. There's 4 separate NHS systems for each constituent country of the UK. If you go to A&E they cannot generally see your GP records - if they can, it's usually limited so for e.g. if you live in the same local NHS trust as the hospital is in.
  - robjan 6y ago
    Foreign nationals without a visa (and non-resident British people, like me now) do receive a bill. I used to work in the department that recovers the money. The rates are in an excel file linked on this page. Visitors pay 150% of the published rate. https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/national-tariff/ https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/national-tariff/
    - varispeed 6y ago
      Out of curiosity, what kind of money we are talking about? For example checking up sprained ankle at A&E? Many of my friends being disappointed with NHS go for example to Mexico for private treatment and it works much better that doing it here, plus you can enjoy the climate and great food.
      - robjan 6y ago
        Not giving medical advice but you probably shouldn't be going to A&E for a sprained ankle unless it's very serious or a suspected break. For people who are not ordinarily resident in the UK an A&E admission costs £100-£500 plus any tests and treatment. There's a small amount of margin which is used to offset the cost of recovering the money and the fact that sometimes the bills go unpaid.
        arethuza 6y ago
        Yeah most of the NHS hospitals I know have "Minor Injury Units" - I generally think that if you can make your own way there they it probably isn't one for A&E. Mind you the last time I went for something I thought wasn't very serious (a cat bite) I was told to go to A&E pretty quickly!
        varispeed 6y ago
        I see, so it is not the kind of situation when you need to consider getting mortgage to pay off the medical bill. It was just an example. General advice I heard is that when you can't go to GP and walk-in is either too far away or closed, you can go to A&E or call 111 for instructions.
  - varispeed 6y ago
    I think doctors have to ask for ID if they suspect someone is not eligible for free treatment. I know this happened for two of my friends and they had to show ID at A&E, but that was during the heat of Brexit campaign, so this could make doctors feel encouraged to do such checks. I have not heard about it for a long time now though.
dbbk 6y ago
There's not even any plans to offer vaccines privately in the UK yet. The NHS isn't going to offer it to travellers.
- checker659 6y ago
  Not NHS, but what’s stopping private companies from purchasing from pfizer at 10x markup and selling to willing customers?
  - peteretep 6y ago
    Doubt Pfizer has much spare stock just sitting around at this point, and also I’m guessing you’d need an import license for it. But I’d imagine once there’s plenty to go around you’ll absolutely start to see private offerings.
  - dbbk 6y ago
    They could theoretically try to order it I suppose, but they're going to be at the end of a very long backlog.
    - claudeganon 6y ago
      Do we actually know all the details of who they’ve contracted with? I wouldn’t be surprised if private healthcare providers in the UK already got their place in line.
      - rsynnott 6y ago
        I'd be somewhat surprised. In Ireland this year the _flu_ vaccine wasn't generally available privately, as the HSE took all available supply. Health authorities should be expected to be even more aggressive with covid vaccines.
  - refurb 6y ago
    I don't think private parties will have any access to vaccine for a while. Can you imagine the shit storm if some wealth person got vaccinated ahead of the doctors treating dying Covid patients. Ain't gonna happen.

robjan 6y ago

The state will not provide it to non-residents. As soon as you arrive in the UK, immigration stamps "no recourse to public funds" in black all-caps into your passport as a friendly reminder.

dTal 6y ago
In this specific instance, you're probably right that there will be paperwork. However, in general, acute healthcare in free in the UK and does not even require ID. I don't know if that's how it's "meant" to be, but that's how it is; if you're on vacation in the UK and something bad happens, you can just turn up at the nearest hospital and it will get sorted out, no bill no fuss.
- peteretep 6y ago
  How it’s “meant” to be is that you’re asked for where you’re registered, and your NHS records are pulled up, and if you’re not registered at a GP practice or in the NHS system you get a bill
  - improbable22 6y ago
    But I think there are some exceptions for communicable diseases, which they will treat without attempting to bill you. I doubt vaccination would fall under that but don't really know.
  - dTal 6y ago
    That's not what happens, though. You can just say "I'm not registered with a GP" (and many people aren't), and you will still be treated - no bill.
    - robjan 6y ago
      If you aren't registered with a GP and have no records at the hospital there are other ways to check, for instance your National Insurance records. It's not easy to get away without paying if you are an ineligible person.
  - physicsguy 6y ago
    That's not the case. There's no such thing as a single NHS records system. There's 4 separate NHS systems for each constituent country of the UK. If you go to A&E they cannot generally see your GP records - if they can, it's usually limited so for e.g. if you live in the same local NHS trust as the hospital is in.
- robjan 6y ago
  Foreign nationals without a visa (and non-resident British people, like me now) do receive a bill. I used to work in the department that recovers the money. The rates are in an excel file linked on this page. Visitors pay 150% of the published rate. https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/national-tariff/ https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/national-tariff/
  - varispeed 6y ago
    Out of curiosity, what kind of money we are talking about? For example checking up sprained ankle at A&E? Many of my friends being disappointed with NHS go for example to Mexico for private treatment and it works much better that doing it here, plus you can enjoy the climate and great food.
    - robjan 6y ago
      Not giving medical advice but you probably shouldn't be going to A&E for a sprained ankle unless it's very serious or a suspected break. For people who are not ordinarily resident in the UK an A&E admission costs £100-£500 plus any tests and treatment. There's a small amount of margin which is used to offset the cost of recovering the money and the fact that sometimes the bills go unpaid.
      - arethuza 6y ago
        Yeah most of the NHS hospitals I know have "Minor Injury Units" - I generally think that if you can make your own way there they it probably isn't one for A&E. Mind you the last time I went for something I thought wasn't very serious (a cat bite) I was told to go to A&E pretty quickly!
      - varispeed 6y ago
        I see, so it is not the kind of situation when you need to consider getting mortgage to pay off the medical bill. It was just an example. General advice I heard is that when you can't go to GP and walk-in is either too far away or closed, you can go to A&E or call 111 for instructions.
- varispeed 6y ago
  I think doctors have to ask for ID if they suspect someone is not eligible for free treatment. I know this happened for two of my friends and they had to show ID at A&E, but that was during the heat of Brexit campaign, so this could make doctors feel encouraged to do such checks. I have not heard about it for a long time now though.

dbbk 6y ago

There's not even any plans to offer vaccines privately in the UK yet. The NHS isn't going to offer it to travellers.

checker659 6y ago
Not NHS, but what’s stopping private companies from purchasing from pfizer at 10x markup and selling to willing customers?
- peteretep 6y ago
  Doubt Pfizer has much spare stock just sitting around at this point, and also I’m guessing you’d need an import license for it. But I’d imagine once there’s plenty to go around you’ll absolutely start to see private offerings.
- dbbk 6y ago
  They could theoretically try to order it I suppose, but they're going to be at the end of a very long backlog.
  - claudeganon 6y ago
    Do we actually know all the details of who they’ve contracted with? I wouldn’t be surprised if private healthcare providers in the UK already got their place in line.
    - rsynnott 6y ago
      I'd be somewhat surprised. In Ireland this year the _flu_ vaccine wasn't generally available privately, as the HSE took all available supply. Health authorities should be expected to be even more aggressive with covid vaccines.
- refurb 6y ago
  I don't think private parties will have any access to vaccine for a while. Can you imagine the shit storm if some wealth person got vaccinated ahead of the doctors treating dying Covid patients. Ain't gonna happen.