I don’t think that’s the case if you’re resident in another European country is it? European tourists are only entitled to emergency medical care in the rest of Europe AND in the U.K. Citizens of the rest of the world are not entitled to any free treatment here. It’s just that the NHS doesn’t have the resources or systems in place to go after payment and there is reason to believe that it would actually cost more to recover that money than any amount the NHS would earn. Attention-grabbing tabloid headlines and Tory propaganda which aren’t supported by the facts. Again…
I’m afraid I don’t think you can leave politics aside on this issue…
3network3, I think our National Insurance contribution works out at around 12% (though it’s so confusing, I may very well be wrong!!!), so not that much difference between the U.K. and Germany.
Having spoken to various friends who work in the NHS, including an Asst. Director of Finance, I really think the problem is misdirection of funds with literally millions upon millions of pounds being wasted on private consulting companies which turn in report after report and tender after tender, with no decisions ever being made; money which should be spent on patient care being poured into a black hole of administrative nonsense. That is the real tragedy of the NHS, which is being dismantled and starved of cash before our very eyes, so that it can be privatised… Large chunks of it already have been and our services and treatments are all the worse for it.
Dear Lemongrove,
I’ve been looking into Cyberknife in Germany and have found this centre in the North. It looks pretty modern and on the ball. It also says it accepts EU citizens with S2 (former E112) funding.
Whether they have restrictions on the number of mets you have, I don’t know. From my experience, medical care in Germany is excellent. http://mhlclinics.com/cyberknife\_north\_germany\_patients.html
Susan x
I get really cross about all this.
So many people with self inflicted health issues (due to smoking,drugs, obesity) get all the treatments they need and we…, well!!
Also what about all the funding raising to help research. The research and drug development is happening, much of it funded by charities, yet the patients are being denied the treatments!!
What can we do??
Do you think people with addictions or obesity should be punished by not being treated for their health problems? Haven’t they paid their national insurance? I can only think it would spread more grief around.
Sadly Lemongrove you and I (I’m a German national) can’t just go to Germany and get free treatment. It’s not free for residents in Germany either. You need to have a health insurance, in order to be health insured in Germany you have to live there. It is compulsory to be health insured unlike America. If someone is on benefits the German state pays for your health insurance.
Thumbie, I agree that’s a slippery slope. After all, how often do we hear that 40% of cancers (or however many it is in any given report), are due to lifestyle factors. So then what? Only treat cancer patients with a healthy BMI, who’ve never smoked, taken the pill or HRT, etc. etc. The blame game is not helpful for any of us.
3network3 Thanks for the reply. I did think that was probably the situation. So much for reciprocity.
I get the feeling that Britain is being made the mug of Europe. It seems we have to provide free healthcare to anyone who manages to get an address /stay for three months - whereas other countries do not do this. I appreciate that we benefit from the European staff that work in the NHS, but providing a free international health service must be costing us a fortune. No wonder Germany can provide such a wonderful health service.
Ponsmuir (Susan), thank you for the information about CK in Germany. It was very kind of you to think of me. Sadly S2 is not the same as the old E112. If it was we would all be getting our doctors to refer us to Germany, to avoid the need for complicated funding applications.
E112 (which was replaced by the EHIC card), merely entitles the card holder to treatment in another European County which is needed to allow them to continue their stay until their planned return to the UK.
To be eligible for planned CK treatment in Germany my Oncologist would first have to make a funding application in the UK. If successful the funding body ( NHS England since the 1st april 2013), would then issue an S2 form which would entitle me to treatment in Germany. So I’m afraid, opting for treatment in Germany wouldn’t avoid the complicated funding appliction. In fact, as Germans are required to contribute 25% of the cost of their treatment, I would have to stump up around ten thousand euros, which I would then have to claim back upon return to the UK (so even more complications).
For those interested in getting funding for treatment abroad I am posting a link below: nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/plannedtreatment/Pages/TheE112.aspx
