Originally Posted by
alanR
And as I pointed out NHS care won't pay for the flights of your relatives to the UK as you lie in a coma, nor will they pay their hotel bills, nor will they pay for a new ticket home - or for the legalities if things go REALLY bad.
And I should add that this doesn't have to be anything as drastic as you lying in a coma...:
You will only be allowed to stay in a hospital while you need immediate medical care. Once you're well enough to sit up in bed and be dragged to the bathroom with your arms round two people's shoulders they will normally send you home - and "I don't have anyone to look after me" isn't deemed a valid reason to keep you in hospital.
It's something people don't tend to think about... but unless you have family or close friends in the UK you will also need to consider the "after-hospital" aspect of any medical emergency you might have.