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21/04/2008, 19:30 Russethouse Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 10,085 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment?  ColinE wrote: Hi Rich1972 I second that, I have worked for 49 years in the UK born and breed here, I strongly object to people coming into our country, having not paid a penny into the system, getting benifits and free health care. It should be as we will have to do in France, if we ever get there, unless retired, buy their own health care, the NHS must be spending millions on these people. Its the same these people going into hospital having babies etc then clearing off without paying, make them pay up front or no treatment. I had better stop there, other wise I my say something I should not. This is one of the reason for us to move to France.   Colin But are these people Europeans ? Most of the Europeans I have met have come here to work and pay both Tax and NI (and yes,  please be careful what you say ) I can't envisage a society where we put the life of a baby in danger, and I'm not sure I'd want to be part of it if we did....   www.quimperclub.org 99    Report

21/04/2008, 19:36 Rich1972 Joined on 18/04/2008 Charente/Vienne Border Posts 94 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment? I can't help but think that this move is specifically designed to target British ex-patriots though. I've just returned from Charente and the impression I got from the British and the local French population was that the influx of British over the last 30-odd years has transformed many small rural economies and bought new life into places that were once stagnant. Surely everyone benefits from that? Oh well. One other question though: is it true that five years permanent residence in France means that you automatically qualify for a carte vitale, irrespective of whether you're British or French, inactif or actif?    Report

21/04/2008, 20:13 Russethouse Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 10,085 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment? Perhaps you should have a look at : http://www.frenchhealthissues.eu/ www.quimperclub.org 99    Report

21/04/2008, 20:43 Tressy Joined on 26/02/2008 Charente Maritime Posts 211 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment?  Rich1972 wrote: Given that any non-British EU resident who has lived in the UK for more than six months can get free treatment on the NHS, is it time that the British government takes a leaf out of the French government's book and withdraws cover for these people (unless they're OAPs or tax-payers)?.  Rich1972 wrote: ...All it would require is a bill through parliament stating that from 'x' date all non-British EU residents not in work would have to get comprehensive private health insurance. Do you think no one has ever proposed doing away with one of the founding principles on which the NHS was established before?  Even tinkering with them has been strongly resisted over the years, so I doubt this would be the walk in the park scenario you envisage. Older people still wail aloud about the introduction of prescription charges about 2 years after the inception of the NHS. I wonder, under your proposal, how the unemployed would pay for CPHS?. Would  pregnant women, children, the very elderly, the mentally ill, people who become physically disabled be excluded in your brave new world? What about people who no insurer would take on to start with? You might learn something about the implications of that in the link RH gives above. And then there's the 'tit for tat' element of your proposal. Even if the French had followed through with the proposals they originally made, I wouldn't have advocated the UK doing the same. What a waste of time and money.    Report

21/04/2008, 20:48 Tressy Joined on 26/02/2008 Charente Maritime Posts 211 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment? Oooh and while we're at it, why not exclude the children of the unemployed from education. I can't see either proposal working out too well.    Report

21/04/2008, 21:58 Rich1972 Joined on 18/04/2008 Charente/Vienne Border Posts 94 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment? Hi Tressy  To be honest I was playing devil's advocate a little. I think the NHS provides an excellent service and I'm completely in support of the 'free at the point of use' ideology. I took my dad down to the local NHS walk-in centre on Saturday as he had a bad attack of Shingles. We waited for 15 minutes before he was seen by a nurse, checked by a specialist and then sent off with a prescription. No problems whatsoever. I agree that the French have a different system, but it's a little worrying to move to another EU country where you suddenly have to get insured or risk being made bankrupt or dying. As I said in my first post, I was planning on having a year off to fix my house up before working (I haven't got two-years NI contributions as I've been studying and have only worked for the last 12 months so I'll have to get full cover) but no problems are insurmountable! It would be interesting to know the figures though, to see if the amount of money taken out of the system by the British abroad is far in excess of the amount of money that they pump into the economy. Rich      Report

21/04/2008, 22:12 Tressy Joined on 26/02/2008 Charente Maritime Posts 211 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment?  Rich1972 wrote: Hi Tressy  To be honest I was playing devil's advocate a little...It would be interesting to know the figures though, to see if the amount of money taken out of the system by the British abroad is far in excess of the amount of money that they pump into the economy. Hello you norty person. There may be some very clever people who could work out that 'sum', but I doubt it. Be careful what you wish for.      Report

21/04/2008, 22:23 woolybanana'sbrother Joined on 18/01/2008 Posts 1,321 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment? If the early retired Brits in France had been paying a more realistic figure for their healthcare then the problem might not have arisen. Meanwhile, as Tressy says, ban 'em all, make 'em pay. Shoot the malingerers. Especially if foreign. Do not try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.    Report

22/04/2008, 4:10 NormanH Joined on 10/04/2008 Posts 235 Re: Should the UK now bar non-British EU residents from free NHS treatment? In fact what should happen is that the whole of Europe adopt a similar system. The choice is between the British one of using the criterion of residence, paid for in part by tax and partly by Social Security, or that of the rest of Europe, where the payments for health are more clearly earmarked. If that was brought in in the UK, retired people both in the UK and abroad would continue to pay Social Security contributions on their pensions, as is the case in France. As it is British people in France have their  (more expensive) French health care paid for by the UK on the E121; not very fair on those who stay in the UK and have to accept the NHS, but have paid the same contributions during their working lives.    Report

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