Getting Birth Control as a Visitor: My expereince

Argument over.

Guidance from the Department Of Health for overseas visitors:

(My emphasis)

What do I have to pay for?

You will have to pay the full cost of all the treatment you receive, including emergency treatment, given by staff at a hospital or by staff employed by a hospital. However, there are some services that are free of charge to everyone:

    * Treatment given only in an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department or in a NHS Walk-in Centre providing services similar to those of an A&E department (excludes emergency treatment given elsewhere in the hospital);

    * Treatment for certain infectious diseases (excluding HIV/AIDS where it is only the first diagnosis and connected counselling sessions that are free to everyone);

    * Compulsory psychiatric treatment;

    * Family planning services.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074379

With respect, I don't think there was ever an argument. No one was questioning whether or not birth control is free... we were questioning whether or not we thought that was right. Which led to the query as to whether it could be charged for (i.e. whether the NHS was set up to accept fees).

It seems to a matter of policy that contraception should be free to everybody, decided by a democratically elected government, so I suppose the way to change it would be to vote for a party which opposed it.

Oh, sorry. I thought we were just having a conversation and expressing our opinions. If I took to the streets over everything I think needs changing I wouldn't have time to work. Or time to waste on UKY. 

BUT - I understand why they do this for visitors.  They don't want the foreign visitors getting pregnant by a Brit and then trying to live in the country or have their baby here.  Think about it...makes total sense when you look at it like that.

Getting pregnant by a British national gives a person absolutely no entitlement to live here or have a baby here.  Even citizenship is not automatic by birth here.

Getting pregnant by a British national gives a person absolutely no  entitlement to live here or have a baby here.

No, but it would provide a potential line of appeal under human rights legislation.

No one was questioning whether or not birth control is free...

I thought there were a few people questioning whether it was free for visitors actually.

Thank you, contrex, for finding that information on overseas visitors and what they're entitled to for free on the NHS.  I learned something new today.

No, but it would provide a potential line of appeal under human rights legislation.

That would have slim to none chance of success if the couple aren't married, in which case the person would be eligible to use the NHS on the appropriate visa.

No one was questioning whether or not birth control is free...

Some people seemed clearly to be under the impression that, or wondering whether, not charging foreign visitors for birth control was an oversight or inefficiency. For example:

She was honest about being a visitor and being required to pay but the people she dealt with weren't aware or didn't care.

However, if overseas visitors are supposed to pay for contraception like they are supposed to do for any other non-emergency medicine/treatment, then I think it's annoying that the correct procedures weren't followed in this case.

It is my understanding that the NHS was not created to provide the world with free health care!

Which led to the query as to whether it could be charged for (i.e. whether the NHS was set up to accept fees).

The fact is, as we know see, that birth control is free for everybody.

The NHS is set up to bill for, and accept payment for, services and treatment where it is appropriate and cost effective. It is clearly a policy that charging a small minority of clients for routine birth control services is neither of these things.

The NHS is set up to bill for, and accept payment for, services and treatment where it is appropriate and cost effective. It is clearly a policy that charging a small minority of clients for routine birth control services is neither of these things.

Thank you for clearing up the unknown about birth control being free for visitors. I do appreciate that. I have to disagree with the reasoning behind why the NHS doesn't bill these people. I have to doubt the reason is due to cost effectiveness when it's clear that they could easily bill these people as part of the regular prescription billing. Personally, I see this as an aspect that the NHS could easily change. I also have some issue about the other things that are offered free to visitors, but that is my own opinion and doesn't have anything to do with this the topic the OP brought up.

It seems to a matter of policy that contraception should be free to everybody, decided by a democratically elected government, so I suppose the way to change it would be to vote for a party which opposed it.

I don't think there is any Party opposed to this.  It makes sound, common sense to me.  And, as a taxpayer that likes to complain about most things, this is one with which I totally agree.
Whatever financial problems the NHS does have (and we all know what they are?), charging visitors for family planning facilities will not make that much difference, if any at all.

Ah, I'm glad that my perception was correct- I *thought* it was free for everyone, but wasn't 100% sure.  As I said before though, since that is the policy already in place I have no problem with it...I think contraception that's free for everyone is best for society as a whole.

Getting pregnant by a British national gives a person absolutely no entitlement to live here or have a baby here.  Even citizenship is not automatic by birth here.

No, but if someone gets pregnant at the beginning of a 6 month visit, wouldn't they then be unable to fly home and need to stay in the UK until after they gave birth?  I'm not sure what the limits are for flying while pregnant, so I can't be 100% sure on this, but I'd imagine it's a strong possibility dependant on the pregnant woman's health and the health of the baby - and while she is in the UK and pregnant she would be going to see a doctor, which would cost more money in the long run over just handing out the birth control free.

This one depends pretty much on the airline.  Some will let you fly fairly close to the confinement date, others not within the last two months.  The RAF, for example, require a full health check six weeks prior to confinement date...

I wonder if the free contraception for visitors thing stems from a time when contraception was illegal to obtain in some countries, e.g. Ireland, prior to a time when EU rules on healthcare were in force, and thus there was some amount of 'health tourism' to get contraception in the UK?