MoreMilesPlease

Not dubious at all.

https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/movingabroad/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Swanhunter

tom tulpe

Again: Not applicable to returning citizens. And OP's other half can't enter legally for family reasons, only as a tourist, unless she gets the proper visa.

Re birth in Thailand: that would mean that OP's grandchildren would not acquire citizenship by descent, as that would require having at least one parent who is a British citizen otherwise than by descent.

MoreMilesPlease

I suppose it depends on how long the person has been a non-resident UK national. Also if he is returning to live in the UK permanently or just coming back for a visit.

The NHS does not normally provide free hospital treatment for people who do not reside in the UK even if they are UK nationals • If you have lived outside the UK for more than 3 months (6 months for some pensioners) in the last year you can be charged • You will be exempt from charges if you can produce evidence that you have been working abroad for less than 5 years and have lived in the UK continuously for at least 10 years at some point

https://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/w...K-Citizens.pdf

MoreMilesPlease

Information on what a pregnant woman needs to show for maternity care on the NHS. Your pregnancy, your choice ? Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

MoreMilesPlease

They obviously changed within the last 2-3 years. The surcharge is still on the .gov.uk website as of a couple of months ago.
Correct, but you have to be an actual full-time resident of the UK. You cannot pop back from overseas for treatment. Most GPs don't really ask but they can. Also any hospital can ask for proof of eligibility.

JamesKidd

Does your employer have health insurance with maternity cover ? Though not being married may complicate this. Whenever I was on an expat package overseas, I always had private medical insurance with maternity cover as well included.

With health insurance it means delivering in the country you are in, but with private option you usually get a pick of hospitals and expedited care.

Redwood839

While I would understand why the OP would want to have his baby in the UK, the fact is you're not married, and she has a tourist visa in the UK. Past the fact of what others have said about you not being eligible, your GF will NOT be eligible whatsoever, and if you bring her into the UK on a tourist visa, with no intention of securing her a permit (marrying her I'd suppose) then you're doing it all wrong and your child will have no coverage.

I recently went through this entire ordeal but the other way around. I was an expat in the UK under a tier 2 visa, and had paid the NHS surcharge when we applied. My wife became pregnant while in the UK and we were given maternity support by the NHS because we had paid our surcharge and both contributed on a monthly basis to the NHS.

I think the feeling of entitlement one used to have is long gone, just because you're a citizen it no longer means you're entitled to free coverage. Let alone your GF, which might look suspicious to authorities that you're bringing a woman pregnant from another country into the UK claiming you are the father. I would marry in Thailand beforehand.

sweetsleep

In the US, ANYONE can show up for maternity care-regardless of nationality,with many social services at the ready to get emergency state Medicaid(the names vary by state-California it is called MediCal, in Tennessee it is called Tenncare-how quaint) for obstetric/newborn care.
I have yet to see any illegal immigrants get any kind of bill for maternity services and I have seen some whoppers of abuse after living in California as well as the southern tier states.
It is against the law to deny care to pregnant women in the US, and very few if any ever have to pay for it.

Beltway2A

This is entirely wrong (and off-topic, given that OP is asking about the UK). It's certainly not against the law to deny obstetric care, and Medicaid is tightly controlled in the two states you mentioned as well (as well as the other 48 others in DC). A large portion of my job involves advising providers on how to comply with the relevant regulations, and helping them appeal Medicaid denials for a variety of services, including L&D and other OB/GYN care.

Every single thing you said was 100% wrong, except where you admit that you have no personal knowledge of medical billing practices. Please take your political drivel to a different forum.

MoreMilesPlease

And no one is talking about the USA in this thread. But an illegal immigrant or someone on a visitor visa to the USA are not eligible for state funded health care. They may not be denied care, but they will get a bill.

UKtravelbear

No one is saying anyone will be refused care. The issue is if there will be a bill for it once it has happened.

Unlike in the US no one will be asked for a credit card or their insurance policy in an emergency situation.

satchuk

Thanks guys for the help. I will consult further with relevant authorities.

Cheers.