Overseas visitors

Are you an overseas visitor?

As a non UK resident your care will not be funded through our UK tax system and will need to be funded by either your country of origin, your insurance company or by you.

Depending on your status in the UK, the Overseas Officers will ask you a series of questions to work out which payment method applies.

Patients with travel insurance

If you have insurance cover, it is your responsibility to contact the company to gain a 'Letter of Guarantee' from your insurers authorising your treatment at this hospital.

If you are admitted as an inpatient, you may prefer to be transferred to the private wing. Please speak to the Overseas Officer (or nursing staff if out-of-hours) who will explain the process to you and arrangements will be made for you to be transferred as a private patient.

Patients who are from reciprocal and bilateral countries

If you are from a country with which the UK has a reciprocal agreement (healthcare agreement between UK and other EU countries) or a bilateral agreement (healthcare agreement between UK and non-EU countries) the following will apply:

• if you are from a European country you will need to show a valid EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), otherwise you will have to pay for your care directly

You may also be required to produce the following:

• a copy of your passport
• your full address abroad

The Overseas Officer will inform you which of the above information is required.

Countries with reciprocal and bilateral agreements with the UK are listed at the end of this leaflet.

Please note the reciprocal and bilateral agreements do not apply if you are having elective planned treatment or treatment that can be carried out in your country of origin.

Students studying in the UK

If you are a student you will need to show a valid visa and a letter from your college confirming you are currently studying in the UK.

Patients directly liable for charges

The Overseas Officer will provide you with an estimated cost for the treatment that you receive. These costs are calculated from the standard National Health Tariff which is applied throughout the UK.

The estimated price must be paid before or on the day of discharge from the hospital. If you have difficulty paying these charges, or have been discharged (from the ward or clinic) before being seen by an Overseas Officer, please contact the Overseas Office from 9am–5pm, Mon–Fri (details on the blue panel of this leaflet).

The Overseas Officer will not be able to quote an exact price for your care until you have been discharged, where upon all of your treatment (including operations, X-rays, tests etc) will have been updated on the hospital system. We will then send you an invoice for the complete package of care. Any deposits you have paid towards your treatment will be stated in your invoice and accounted for accordingly.

Please note: if you do not contact the Overseas Office, they will contact you directly for the documentation as explained above. Should you fail to provide the documents required, you will be sent a formal invoice requesting payment and further treatment may not be scheduled until such as the funding source is confirmed.

For further information regarding the current regulations for overseas visitors, please see the Department of Health website.

Countries with reciprocal agreements with the UK

Countries with bilateral agreements with the UK