General Chat

Any one going to another country has a responsibility to stay safe and plane their travel and stay and anyone who does not think that becoming ill or that they will not ever be involved in a accident is indeed being naive at best,

no one plans being ill or on having an accident not even at home but it happens and should be catered for, thats why travel insurance is their

I don't think Hindsight comes into it just common sense when it comes to health and travel

When we are in their country the fact that they may not speak good English is not the fault or their problem

Roy

Glad you find it funny Eldrick - OK when asking for a drink - in hospital conditions - different ball game. Friends OH was willing to pay privately for assistance - he could not get help in obtaining this.

However I shall leave it to you gentlemen to battle it out and to ignore, in your wisdom, pertinent questions put forward by other posters.

Chris it was me meantioned E111 which was the forerunner to the present certificate EHIC (European Health Insurance card) and repatriation. Same conditions apply though.

By the way, it is a fallacy that most foreigners speak English. They don't. They are better at it than we are at speaking their language but many are unable to speak even basic English.

Ann - I see you did - however just after you Roy made the point about it was a different number reference in past 5 years.

I am leaving them to it.

Reciprocal Agreement also apply' s in Australia for UK citizens.

It's basic medical care.... does not include Ambulance or Air Ambulance , but you do have to sign on to their Medicare ( just like our NHS.)

My brother got treated last year for a heart problem & drugs... while holidaying with his daughter in Perth.

Well thanks to all who have posted on this thread i have enjoyed reading all the opinions posted and it looks like every one has had their say and would welcome any other opinions

but it is now looking like health care around the world which is also interesting has taken over so feel free to add your views on either subject

Roy

Thank you Roy.

I rather enjoyed your thread.....with all the contributors !

I dont think this is about tourists being taken ill while in this country,
this is about people coming into the country with long term serious illnesses which require expensive drugs and long stays in hos,also woman coming to the UK to have their baby"s because of course its free,i for one have nursed several sick babys from the likes of India,portugal,and three from malaysia,
I also know of a porto rican family who came here with a son who had profound learning dis,the father would te,ll everyone who would listen ,that the reason they came here was because their son would get free special education and healthcare. when he came to the school about 8yrs ago,he could not speak english and a translator had to be brought in.
nobody minds helping sick people,but some take the mick. :-)

We also have children coming to Australia from developing countries for expert medical assistance - generally brought over by Rotary. Thank goodness we have specialists who are more than happy to work with these children to correct birth defects that would impede their chances of working in their own countries when they are adults. Awhile back we had siamese twins from Pakistan and the country was behind them during the long hours it took to seperate them. I would be hard pushed to find a single person who begrudged the time and resources it took to bring those little girls to the reasonable good health they have now.

If I had a severely disabled child I would travel the world to get help for that child.

So would I, Sue. Well said.

Gwynne

I don't think I'd begrudge that either.

Though I would an adult.

Ooooooo nasty pasty aren't I? lol x

nobody minds children coming for medical help,but its the adults that abuse the system,and to answer your ques,yes i would go to the ends of the earth if my child was ill,but people are coming here and taking the pi--.believe me ive seen it time and time again. :-(

Before l go off....l had an email today from our local MP, sadly he's a Conservative, such a nice man and always takes the time to email me, even done so on the train home:)

Anyway...he said he thinks the NHS changes may not effect Wales, he will email again and confirm.l find this obviously good news for us, but not so for England.

jude

i used to teach english to a young girl ages 8 from Iraq
she was over here having treatment for brain tumours she had her treatment for free but sadly she died
i don't begrudge children having free treatment

RIP Homaney :-(

If adults are abusing the system, then it is down to the individual hospitals as the rules are there to prevent it. There should be a dedicated overseas team in every hospital to apply the rules. So once again, its the nhs itself that is incapable of managing and radical reform is the only answer.

Having said that, i would prefer to hear of some specific verified cases rather than anecdotes and hearsay.

Foreign healthcare bill was 7 million in 2009 .

The bill for homeopathy and acupuncture, etc was 500 million.

I know which is more important.

Here in Australia I'm afraid we get bogged down by myths about what benefits our immigrants and asylum seekers get. I had an email from a family member the other day about what our Somalian refugees get from the government. This normally very intelligent man gave a list of the most outlandish goods and services these people get from the taxpayers of this country. $600 per person (including children) per week, free housing, free car (brand new) free appliances. I didn't get an answer when I told him what they do get. People need to get the facts right.

Both sums of money could buy some people their lives !!!!!!!!

What with cancer drugs being scantily available in some areas.

I agree Eldrick..the whole system needs reforming...top to bottom x

sorry ELDRICK
but its not hearsay,its from the horses mouth.
7m is 7m to much,and the 500m for acupunture and homeopathy is a load of c--p.
when i hurt my back in working hrs,i was told to see a private osteopath on my day off. cost to me. £30quid an hr,for a work related injury. :-D