For now, I appear to have sorted something out regarding the NHS - at least for me.
My partner and I spent a large part of Tuesday and Wednesday on the phone. We called the Primary Care Trust. They actually called us back to tell us that as a resident with my status, I should be covered by the NHS and the GP should have allowed me to register. Just before the end of the conversation, though, the PCT woman decided to check with one more place and said she'd call back in the morning. When she called back, she said that no, I am not covered until I pay into National Insurance. I asked if making voluntary payments was an option, and she thought it might be.
We then called the National Insurance who, after routing me through three different numbers, told me they had never heard of such a thing and that I should have been registered at the GP.
Finally, to double-check that response we called the NHS Direct. After checking with several people there, it appears as though Tier 1 migrants in the UK are classified as ordinarily resident and can be registered at an NHS GP without employment. The NHS Direct people are going to mail us a letter stating this, so I can take it to a GP and get registered. We're still waiting on the letter before we try another clinic.
It doesn't sound like any of this information is being disseminated out into smaller cities very well.
