y insurance scheme in the ordinary sense and most patients pay nothing for their treatment there is thus no billing to the treated person nor to any insurer or sickness fund as is common in many other countries. This saves hugely on administration costs which might otherwise involve complex consumable tracking and usage procedures at the patient level and concomitant invoicing, reconciliation and bad debt processing.
Eligibility for free NHS services is based on having "Permanent residence status" (a birthright for some or granted by the Home Office for those who have immigrated). The person must be registered with a general practitioner and have an NHS card and number. This will include overseas students with a visa to study at a recognized institution for 6 months or more, but not visitors on a tourist visa for example.
Citizens of the EU holding a valid European Health Insurance Card and persons from certain other countries with which the UK has reciprocal arrangements concerning health care can likewise get emergency treatment without charge.
In England, from 15 January 2007, anyone who is working outside the UK as a missionary for an organization with its principal place of business in the UK is fully exempt from NHS charges for services that would normally be provided free of charge to those resident in the UK. This is regardless of whether they derive a salary or wage from the organization, or receive any type of funding or assistance from the organisation for the purposes of working overseas. This is in recognition of the fact that most missionaries would be unable to afford private health care and those working in developing countries should not effectively be penalized for their contribution to development and other work.
Those who are not "ordinarily resident" who do not fall into the above category (including British citizens who may have paid National Insurance contributions in the past) are liable to charges for services. p> There are some other categories of people who are exempt from the residence requirements such as specific government workers and those in the armed forces stationed overseas.
Prescription charges
As of April 2009 [update] the prescription charge for medicines was ВЈ 7.20 (which contrasts with Scotland at ВЈ 4.00 and Wales and Northern Ireland where they are free). People over sixty, children under sixteen (or under nineteen if in full time education), patients with certain medical conditions, and those with low incomes, are exempt from paying. Those who require repeated prescriptions may purchase a single-charge pre-payment certificate which allows unlimited prescriptions during its period of validity. The charge is the same regardless of the actual cost of the medicine, but higher charges apply to medical appliances. For more details of prescription charges, see Prescription drugs.
The high and rising costs of some medicines, especially some types of cancer treatment, means that prescriptions can present a heavy burden to the PCTs, whose limited budgets include responsibility for the difference between medicine costs and the fixed prescription charge. This has led to disputes whether some expensive drugs (eg Herceptin) should be prescribed by the NHS.
The good points of the NHS
a) The main part of medical research in England depends on the Medical Research Council which is a government body, free of political influence. The characteristics of medical research in England are that the greatest part of the funds available come from one central body which is the MRC, that most of the work done under its grants is of good to superior quality and there is a minimum of useless duplication.
b) Medical care costs very little to the individual and there is no question that the public is satisfied.
c) The previously full time physicians in the hospitals receive a better income than before and are given the importance they deserve. Many of them are happy about the change. p> d) The out-patient departments are given greater importance and better organization.
e) The most competent section of the medical profession, professors, consultants, and top research workers are given more importance than formerly in the advisory committees, in the organization and the development of the service.
f) It appears that that the British doctors have a reasonable income and are much happier in comparison with the rest of English society.
Weak points of the NHS
a) One of the most important failures of the NHS lies in its artificial administrative division into the three branches of the hospital services, general medical services, and public health, without any integration at any level. There is very little relationship between the consultant in the hospitals, the general practitioner and the public health officer. This often leads to mis...
