Bulletin 30.06.2009

  1. Home
  2. 2009
  3. Bulletin 30.06.2009
Bulletin 30.06.2009

Pandemic Flu Clinical Assessment Tools

A pandemic flu page with information specifically aimed at GPs has now been set up on the BMA web site (accessible to members and non-members) you can view it by following this link  www.bma.org.uk/health_promotion_ethics/.You can also view the latest version of the pan flu Q&A here.

Entitlement to (Free) NHS Treatment

A recent incident reported to us about a patient required to pay a large sum for urgent cardiology treatment is an opportunity to remind practices that GPs referring patients to hospital may wish to point out that not all treatment to patients registered with a GP will be free.

Practices will also want to note that reciprocal arrangements with the Channel Islands were discontinued earlier this year; there is still an obligation to provide emergency and immediately necessary treatment, but you may treat any other problems on a private basis. Don’t forget that means the patient pays for practice time and all medication which should be issued on a private prescription. Private prescriptions for CDs must be issued on the appropriate form available from the PCT, all other private items must have the prescribers and patients details clearly shown.

Full details of eligibility for secondary services is to be found here www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/ but in summary:

Nationality or past or present payments of UK taxes and National Insurance contributions are not taken into consideration when establishing residence. The only thing relevant is being ordinarily resident in the UK
“Ordinarily resident” is a common law concept usually taken to mean resident in the UK for more than 6 months and for settled purposes as part of the regular order of their life for the time being, with an identifiable purpose for their residence here which has a sufficient degree of continuity to be properly described as settled
anyone who spends more than 3 months living outside the UK is no longer automatically entitled to free NHS hospital treatment in England
people in receipt of UK state retirement pensions who have lived in the UK for at least 10 continuous years at some point in the past remain entitled for certain levels of coverage. The extent of coverage depends on where outside the UK you live, and how long you live there. See www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/
If you go anywhere abroad for more than three months, either for a one-off extended holiday for a few months or to live permanently for several years, but then return to the UK to take up permanent residence here again, then you will be entitled to receive free NHS hospital treatment from the day you return. So will your spouse/civil partner and children (under the age of 16, or 19 if in further education) if they are also living with you permanently in the UK again. A hospital may require to see evidence that you have returned to the UK on a permanent basis.

FAQs

Please follow this link to view a number of FAQs that are raised to the LMC. Many are a reminder of those previously posted in Bulletin 6 but please take time to refresh yourself as this is important information.

No PDF Available.
Menu