Overseas patients

NHS healthcare is not free for everyone. If you are a visitor to the United Kingdom, you may need to pay for your NHS treatment. We will need evidence to determine if you need to pay for your treatment.

National regulations by the Department of Health and Social Care stipulate that if you are a non-UK resident your care will not be free and will need to be funded by your country of origin, or you will need to self-pay and claim back from your insurance company. Visitors who are ordinarily resident in the UK or who fall within certain exemption categories will not need to pay.

It is your responsibility to prove that you are entitled to free NHS treatment. If you do not provide satisfactory evidence to support your claim, you will be liable for the cost of any treatment provided to you now or in the future. 

If your doctor considers that the treatment you need is immediately necessary or urgent you will be treated straight away or as soon as possible based on your clinical need. You will still be required to pay during or after you have received this treatment. If you are seeking treatment that is neither immediately necessary nor urgent, you will have to pay the full cost in advance. For further information regarding the current regulations for overseas visitors, please see the Gov.uk website.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are travelling to the UK from a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) or from Switzerland, you will need to show a valid EHIC, otherwise you will have to pay for your care directly. You will also be asked to provide the following:

• a copy of your passport
• your full address abroad

Your EHIC (or a replacement card if lost/stolen) must be produced prior to discharge from hospital or you will be liable to pay all fees associated with your care and claim back your costs through your home country. 

EEA countries

Please note that your EHIC does not apply if you are having elective planned treatment or treatment that can be carried out in your country of origin. You will need to obtain an E112/S2 from your local Health Authority in your country of origin prior to an appointment being given in the UK. In the event elective planned treatment is provided prior to receipt of an E112/S2, you will be charged for your treatment.

Reciprocal/bilateral agreement countries

If you are ordinarily resident in and travelling from one of the countries listed below you will be exempted from charges if you are able to provide proof of residence in that country, for example your passport/ID card. 

Countries with reciprocal or bilateral agreements

Rest of the world countries where you require a visa to enter the UK

If you travel to the UK on a visa of more than 6 months (up to 5 years) you would have paid a surcharge of £200 per year per family member / visa (or £150 if a student), which entitles you to free NHS care for the length of your visa.

For visas of 6 months or more but with a maximum stay at any one time of 180 days or less, you would not have paid the surcharge and therefore need to pay for all treatment.

All visas issues prior to April 2015 (depending on the type of visa issued) will need to be checked to see if they are exempt from charges.

If you hold a visa for less than 6 months, you will need to pay. 

Rest of the world countries where you self-fund or hold insurance

If you don’t have an EHIC or exemption visa you need to self-pay or have authorisation for treatment from your medical insurance company. 

Insurance

If you are liable for the charges associated with your care you may choose to use your travel insurance or health insurance to fund your care. If you have insurance cover, it is your responsibility to contact the company to gain a Letter of Guarantee (LOG) and authorisation numbers from your insurers authorising your treatment. We do not liaise with insurance companies without this. You may still be required to pay in advance.

Working in collaboration with the UK Border Agency

You should be aware that under paragraphs 320(22) and 322(12), and 3.14 of Appendix V, of the Immigration Rules, a person with outstanding debts of over £500 for NHS treatment that is not paid within two months of invoicing, may be denied a further immigration application to enter or remain in the UK.

In the absence of prompt full settlement or an accepted reasonable repayment schedule, non-clinical information relating to this debt is provided routinely to the Home Office and may be used by the Home Office to apply the above Immigration Rules. The Home Office will keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for permitted purposes. In the borders, immigration and citizenship system, the Home Office maintain a long-term record of immigration history and immigration offending to support future decision-making and enforce penalties. More information can be found in the borders, immigration and citizenship privacy information notice.  

Contact

Our Overseas Department for both of our hospitals is based at our Chelsea and Westminster site on the 4th Floor, Lift Bank D. If you are at West Middlesex University Hospital and need to speak to one of our Overseas Officers, please get in touch using the contact details below.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
T: 020 3315 8483
M: 07557 824 588
E: chelwest.overseas.department@nhs.net

West Middlesex University Hospital
F: 0208 321 2526
M: 07796 698 550
E: chelwest.overseas.team.wmuh@nhs.net