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Topic: Medication Help Please!!  (Read 1213 times)

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Medication Help Please!!
« on: January 20, 2011, 06:36:27 PM »
I've only been here for 4 and a half months on a fiance visa, but we got married last week and I went in for my spousal visa appointment on Tuesday. All is well there but I'm running out of my seizure medications.  These are not cheap and not easy to get.  But I figured that I would be able to get them here once we're married.

I tried to register with my husband's GP and they said that I had to be here 6 months to be eligible for prescription coverage.  They wrote me a prescription for private insurance (that's quite pricey) and charged me £15 just to write it.

So my husband called Kingston hospital directly and they said I can't get any medications through the NHS until I've been here 6 months.

Is this true? And if so, I am completely and totally freaking out. My meds are not optional.

Help?



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Re: Medication Help Please!!
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2011, 06:47:39 PM »
No, this is not true - both the GP and the hospital were incorrect (unfortunately, a lot of health centre/hospital staff are under the impression that you have to live here for 6 months to get treatment, but this is not true).

You were eligible to use the NHS and to get NHS prescriptions from the day you landed in the UK (because you are on a settlement-track visa). The GP should have issued you with an NHS prescription and should not have charged you to write a private one.

See this webpage for guidance on eligibility to use the NHS if you are moving to the UK to marry a UK citizen: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074377

It explicitly states that those coming to the UK to marry a UK citizen are exempt from paying for NHS treatment and will only have to pay normal NHS charges for prescriptions (i.e. £7.20 per item in England, free in Wales etc.). It doesn't say anything about having to wait 6 months before you are eligible.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2011, 06:50:13 PM by ksand24 »


Re: Medication Help Please!!
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2011, 06:54:42 PM »
I didn't think it was true, but ksand knows what's what with meds.  I really hope you get your meds soon!


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Re: Medication Help Please!!
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2011, 03:41:54 PM »
Update:

Thank you to everyone for your helpful advice. I was ready to give up and just pay for the private prescription, but with the help of that website, I was able to get the help I needed.

We contacted PALS who explained that a lot of the problem is that the Department of Health website says one thing, but the guidelines on the NHS website say 6 months.  But the wonderful lady directed me to a practice that would register me, and they gave me an emergency appointment to get my prescription.  And, thanks to the advice here, I also found out that I qualify for exemptions from prescription charges since I'm epileptic.

So, thank you thank you thank you for encouraging me and my husband to keep fighting. :)  It turned out to have avery positive result!!


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