Finding a doctor

[ElsieD]

I have a friend who is from the EC, does he need a National Insurance number to go to a doctor or a dentist? Or is it a NHS number he needs - if so - how does one get one? He's entitled to live and work here.

[Dom Tuk]

AS British nationals have to fill out the form E111 at a post office i suspect your friend would have had to do the same in his/her home (EU)country in order to be entitled to free NHS treatment. Its a reciprocal arrangement.

[Hgrove]

Yes, that is what I understand to be the case.  As your friend is here now, perhaps he should contact his consulate to check if they can issue him with E111.

[ElsieD]

Thanks, Dom Tuk, Hgrove. So that would be the form he needs until he becomes resident? (As he is planning to live here, which he is allowed to do.) If he decided to see a dentist or doctor privately, presumably he would not need the form?

[Hgrove]

As far as I know, if you go private, you don't need form E111, but beware, costs for private medicine are sky high.  It is not the cost of a single appointment or blood test that does it, but the mounting costs of the "cascade" of intervention that follows.

[Hgrove]

By the way, if he lives here permanently and takes up employment here, he should not need form E111.  He should be able to obtain an NHS medical card and register with a GP etc.  I am not sure who issues the medical cards nowadays - it used to be the Family Practitioners' Committee.  It may be called the Primary Healthcare Trust now but I am not 100 p.c. sure.