Overseas Visitors
The National Health Service provides healthcare for people who live in the UK.People who do not normally live in this country are not automatically entitled to use the NHS free of charge - regardless of their nationality or whether they hold a British passport or have lived and paid National Insurance contributions and taxes in this country in the past.
Primary Care
Primary care providers i.e. General Practitioners, dentists, opticians and pharmacists need to establish if a patient seeking treatment meets the definition of ordinarily resident as defined in Welsh Health Circular WHC (1999) 32, if not, the patient is deemed an overseas visitor.
When an overseas visitor requests non-emergency medical treatment or treatment that is not immediately necessary, it is for the primary care provider to decide whether to accept that person as a NHS patient or as a private patient.
Free treatment due to accident or emergency
Under a General Practitioner's terms of service, doctors, in their practice area, are required to offer free treatment which they consider to be immediately required owing to an
accident or other emergency. The terms of service make no distinction on grounds of nationality or residence.
accident or other emergency. The terms of service make no distinction on grounds of nationality or residence.
Overseas visitors who must be treated free of charge due to European Union obligations
Visitor from European Economic Area member states carrying EC Healthcare Form 128 fall into two groups:
- workers posted temporarily to another member state and any members of their family who accompany them
- students temporarily in another member state to study and any accompanying members of their family
Secondary Care
The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 place a legal obligation on Health Boards and Trusts in Wales to establish if people who they are providing NHS hospital services for, are not ordinarily resident in the UK. If they are not, then charges may be applicable for the NHS services provided.
