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Is NHS treatment free for Irish citizens?

  • 10-12-2015 3:42pm
    #1
    fontdor
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 531 ✭✭✭


    Hi since I am an Irish Citizen is it free for health care in England?


Comments

  • #2
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,166 ✭✭✭enda1


    If you are a resident it is.


  • #3
    fontdor
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 531 ✭✭✭fontdor


    enda1 wrote: »
    If you are a resident it is.

    Oh so you have to move to England Permanently?


  • #4
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,166 ✭✭✭enda1


    No. You just need to be resident. Or if on holiday you can walk into a hospital or NHS walk-in clinic and get treated.


  • #5
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    enda1 wrote: »
    No. You just need to be resident. Or if on holiday you can walk into a hospital or NHS walk-in clinic and get treated.

    Don't you need a National Insurance number for free treatment in the UK?


  • #6
    El_Duderino 09
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,714 ✭✭✭✭El_Duderino 09


    You could walk into A&E no questions asked, but you would need to sign up with a clinic to make an appointment for something routine


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  • #7
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,166 ✭✭✭enda1


    davo10 wrote: »
    Don't you need a National Insurance number for free treatment in the UK?

    Not in a hospital or NHS walk-in clinic. EU law says all EU citizens must be treated as a local for emergency medical aid.


  • #8
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    You need a European health insurance card.. (Ehic.ie) to avail of free emergency health care in an EU country.


  • #9
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,166 ✭✭✭enda1


    Kaelyn Immense Museum wrote: »
    You need a European health insurance card.. (Ehic.ie) to avail of free emergency health care in an EU country.

    A passport is enough anywhere I've availed of it. (UK, France and Spain).
    That card is preferable but not necessary.


  • #10
    Lingua Franca
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,800 ✭✭✭Lingua Franca


    "You can get free NHS hospital treatment if you are lawfully entitled to be in the UK and usually live here. This is called being ordinarily resident."

    "You can receive free NHS hospital treatment if you:
    ...
    are from a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland and have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The EHIC does not cover coming to the UK just to get medical treatment but it allows you to get free care if you're referred to the UK for pre-planned treatment with an E112 or S2 certificate"

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/healthcare/help-with-health-costs/nhs-charges-for-people-from-abroad/

    http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559


  • #11
    Lingua Franca
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,800 ✭✭✭Lingua Franca


    Before I moved hto the Netherlands permanently and got local health insurance I had cause to visit a hospital twice and a doctor once. On all three occasions I was told it would be a 54 euro fee upfront, with possible charges after that. On all three occasions I handed over the EHIC, and they went into an office with it, then returned it and a fee was never mentioned again. EHIC is the best bet, it has you covered.


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  • #12
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    I broke my collar bone and a few ribs in slovakia. Availed of the a+e twice, fracture clinics and a heart and lung specialist on production of my ehic card.
    They need the reference number on it to claim off the irisj state.


  • #13
    Marcusm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,627 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    fontdor wrote: »
    Hi since I am an Irish Citizen is it free for health care in England?

    Irish citizens are entitled to free healthcare in the UK on the same basis as UK citizens, ie no need for an EHIC. However, this only covers emergency treatment unless you are a UK resident and, effectively, registered with a UK GP. If you rock up with a massive cut or broken bone it will be treated. If you want to access non emergency cancer treatment, you'll need to register with a GP who will assess you and arrange treatment through its Clinical Commissioning Group.


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