A drain on the NHS

I was in the Hospital in Amsterdam and they came to my room for payment. Not sure what would happen if Id said no I can't pay.

Ana - yet again, I could not agree with you more. Driving without a license/insurance/whilst banned seems to be treated as on a par with ringing a doorbell and running away. I've never understood the leniency with which it is dealt

It may be a crime, but the number of convictions is pitifully low. Those who are convicted usually get a desultory fine.

Not just the ambulance, the whole cost of treatment is recovered from insurance. If you don't have insurance you are liable for the costs incurred and if you injure someone and are not insured you go to jail. It is a crime to drive without insurance.

Number please, this is surprising. I thought NHS covered all treatments, including car accidents, what if drivers are not insured?Many these days are not!

My understanding is that it is only the ambulance that is charged for, not any subsequent treatment

It seems odd if traffic accidents aren't covered. Is it just that they can charge and the patient will get it from the insurance company? Why not other kinds of accident? Accidents at work, school or university, in shops and so on? People are always suing because they've been injured somewhere. Maybe the NHS could expand the policy?

Traffic accidents are not covered by NHS, they need to recover costs from motor insurance.

About 30 years ago, my in-laws, who were visiting us from elsewhere in England, were involved in a car crash in town, the car was a write off, but thankfully they were OK, but they received a bill for their treatment from our local hospital. It surprised me, I thought that as UK citizens they`d be entitled to free treatment?

I thought this article was interesting. Apparently treating UK visitors to the EU (mainly France and Spain) cost five times as much as EU visitors to the UK. That doesn't get so much publicity does it?

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/07/treating-uk-tourists-in-europe-costs-five-times-more-than-equivalent-cost-to-nhs

My dil from USA was ill for a couple of days with extremely rampant high temperature, vomiting etc. I was giving her paracaetamol and cold cloths but she is very anti any medication. My other dil who is a nurse checked her and said that USA dil really needed a doctor's opinion.

I phoned the local health centre and GP phoned back, discussed symptoms and temperature and said he'd leave a script. He said not to worry about payment even though dil had travel insurance. I'm sure he'd have been entitled to charge for the 'private' telephone appointment, and also would have thought that payment would have been expected for the prescription.

Not happened to me but I know it's in legislation

I was in involved in a minor traffic accident and because the police had been called, an ambulance arrived as well. No-one needed it so it went away. Some days later I received a bill for ambulance services. It was a very modest bill but I was rather surprised to get it. I was told it was standard practice in the case of a road accident and the insurance would pay, which they did. Has anyone else had this happen?

Last year I was at A&E and as it was crowded we went outside for some fresh air. We got into conversation with two ambulance drivers who were waiting for a call. They told us that they sometimes get calls to go to Man airport which is quite close, to take a passenger off a plane and take them to the nearest hospital as they have been taken ill on the flight. They said they are then treated,operated on etc and then go on to the relatives they were supposedly visiting. They certainly implied that the reason for the visit was for treatment. If I am allowed (well I have done it anyway) it is mostly PIA on which the emergency occurs and it is usually a heart condition.

I have a British passport and have received care on the NHS in A&E. I assumed they would contact the German authorities and be paid.
They did not seem interested especially as I was not taken into hospital.
Now I take out extra health insurance when I come to the UK.

I know there are a lot of British people coming over to Germany for knee operations.The NHS pays for them. It is no longer the 50s when the NHS was small and efficient. Nobody travelled much then and anyone falling ill would be treated. My daughter was treated in hospital in Sicily in the 80s and didn't have to pay a penny.
As for the DM This story is to confuse readers with the woman expecting quads who lives in Berlin. I don't know how anybody can read it! Not if they want to keep up on the real news of the day.

The EHC (formently E111) is for emergencies which can hardly be called 'health tourism'. I have insurance as well when I go to the Continent as the EHC doesn't cover emergency repatriation in the event of serious illness, injury or fatality.

Surprised to hear a French newspaper complaining about UK health tourism. Surely we're entitled to with the E111 card. We've had to use it once. All worked perfectly. We paid for prescription though which was absolutely fine with us.

When I had to go to A&E in Australia no-one even wanted to look at my passport, health card or anything. They just treated me - very well I must say.
However, I do take out private health insurance when I go there just in case.

It wasn't just an extreme example; it was an impossible example.

When I took ill in France, and needed to see a doctor, I had to show my passport and pay up front before the doctor would even look at me. I don't see why visitors to this country should not do the same.

And to the whole idea of one's NI number being used to prove eligibility for free NHS treatment.

Do keep up.

I was responding to whitewave's post of 20.29.

So what was the point?

Of course not. It was an extreme example of someone who wouldn't necessarily have ever paid NI contributions.

Obviously.

Labour party manifesto dealing with the press.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCd2N38WEAApneh.png:large