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Do tourists have to pay for emergency medical treatment in the UK?
Question : Do tourists have to pay for emergency medical treatment in the UK?
I’m going to London this summer with a good friend of mine and she has anorexia/bulimia. I just came to think of ‘ WTF can I do if something happens to her?! ‘ I mean, you never know what can happen to people when they’re weak like that.. So, my question is: Let’s say she faints or she just gets ill, do we have to pay a lot of money for her emergency treatment? Does anybody know the answer to this? Would be soo grateful!
treatment for anorexia and bulimia
Best answer:
Answer by Charlie
Yes, she would have to pay for any medical care she receives. The “free” health care in the UK is for TAXPAYERS in the UK. She should check into travel insurance that has medical coverage.
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#4 written by cumbrian traveller 1 year ago
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#6 written by A Walk In The Park 1 year ago
no tourists do not have to pay for emergency treatment but you will need to have gotten health travel insurance.
but the only thing that the nhs can provide is the immediate medical treatment and cannot give operations or dispense prescriptions as you wont have a permanent residence within the UK. you also cannot use non-emergency services like a GP.
i cannot stress enough about getting health travel insurance as the nhs only covers the immediate need for treatment and not non-essential stuff. if you are dying they will treat you but otherwise they will transfer you back to a hospital in your own country for more treatment once you are stable.
to qualify for treatment on the nhs that isnt A&E for free you have to have had a permanent residence in the UK for at least 12 months
so say if you had an illness such as cancer as harsh though it may sound the nhs wont treat you untill you have lived in the UK for 12 months. they wont give you any treatment as you are not in need of emergency treatment.
you need to get health travel insurance- i cannot stress this enough
so to conclude A&E is free for everyone even tourists but you WILL have to pay for any more treatment beyond that of the A&E department
Hope this helps -
#7 written by roddysul 1 year ago
you didn’t say where she is from – that is significant.
If she is Canadian, an EU citizen or from any of the other countries with a reciprocal agreement with the NHS she will receive free treatment equivalent to that which she could expect at home.If she’s from the US – it’ll be free lifesaving emergency treatment only – after which she’s going to have to use her insurance.
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The Facts are.
Emergency treatment is free.
BUT. as soon as they wheel you out of the emergency department into the hospital proper, you have to pay LOADS OF MONEY.
GET INSURANCE or if you are resident in the EU, get an EU health card.