Moving to UK? What's the healthcare like?

[Loriebird]

Hey!

You will be happy to know that my surgery in December was successful. I feel better than I have in years. I'm currently not on any meds, but I can feel my condition sliding again and will be getting back on a treatment plan soon. Anyway. I'm considering moving to the UK next year. I'm worried about what my access to health care will be like. If I go, I will be a student in a 2-year legal masters program, so I believe I will have access to healthcare as a student in the UK. However, we hear horror stories in the US about waiting lists for treatment. So here are my questions for anyone who has resided in the UK with crohns:

Are treatments readily available when you need them? Prior to my surgery, I was on remicade for 2 years. If I missed a treatment, things got pretty bad.

If I return to the US, how will my 2-year stay in the UK affect my US coverage? Will I get slapped with a pre-existing clause when I return if I let my US ins expire?

Please advise! Thank you

Jen

 

[Bld]

Emergency treatment is great. Non-emergency can take forever - my GI has a four month NHS waiting list! I am not sure if you would be entitled to free NHS treatment or not. Private healthcare is excellent with short waiting lists.

 

[Rebecca85]

Here is some basic info for internatiinal students, about the NHS and how it works http://www.kingstandunipractice.co....TO_THE_NHS_FOR_INTERNATIONAL_STUDENTS_(2).doc

As Bld says, non emergency treatment is not great, 4 months is the average time I wait to see my GI- and that's after they send me a letter saying I need to see him soon!

I am not sure if you would be able to get any of the biologicals, simply because there are very specific guidelines about when they can be prescribed (basically only after all the other treatments have failed).

 

[Loriebird]

My GI has a 3-mo waiting list here. I'm more concerned about access to treatments at this point.

 

[LindaS]

I don't know about healthcare in the UK, but under Obamacare, insurers can no longer deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. If you are under age 19, then that is already in effect. If over age 19, then that will go into effect some time in 2014. Once that is there, they can't charge you more because of the pre-existing condition and can't deny coverage for it.

 

[Loriebird]

If Obamacare goes into effect in 2014, that will relieve my concerns over returning to the US. Very helpful . I haven't been keeping up with the news. Is that a done deal?


Am I the only one who has been living in fear of losing 3 months of continuous coverage and living in pre-existing condition hell? I've had so many employers take advantage of the fact that they know I need medical coverage to survive. But I guess that's another topic for another day.

 

[Loriebird]

Thank you all for the resources.

 

[Terriernut]

Jen, I am an American, and I've lived here in the UK for many a long year. I think their healthcare is absolutely wonderful! If it werent for the NHS, I would be dead. Because there is no way on this green earth I could've afforded the hospitalization and treatments I had in the USA.

The waiting list CAN be long for non emergencies. However, if I'm flaring, all I need do is ring my IBD nurse, and she gets me in straight away to the GI. (I give her Yankee candles so I may get bumped a bit quicker???)

If you need emergency treatment, the NHS cant be beat either. I sooo gladly hand over my tax £ for the care and the treatment I have received here.

 

[Mia E]

Hi!
i hope you enjoy your time, what degree are you planning to do?

it might depend on which part of the country you intend to live and the local GI/dr's medicine preferences. i think the first port of call would be getting a gp, but most uni's have a uni health centre i think! is there anyway you could be given a stock of your medicine to take with you to uk in case you have some problems/delay in getting something here?

someone posted in the past month or 2 on this forum the national guidelines for crohns, these are the guidelines drs should be aiming for to treat people with crohns in the uk. as i am in n. ireland it sometimes doesn't translate as far as to us! that might gibe you some info on medication recommendations and might be something you can arm yourself with if you find you have some problems. the nacc website is a god place to visit also.
hope this helps!x