Healthcare and Travelling

[B_S_A]

I have no idea about this, but I seem to remember something about the NHS covering all of the EU? Is that right?

[pleyland]

You need to get an EHIC card.

Hopefully the link below will get you to the right place.

nhs-e111-ehic.org.uk/?gclid...

[Hidden]

B_S_A. I think you need one of those EU medical cards. You can go online to register and get them. Mine was free when I applied a couple of years ago. But you do still need to take out your own Travel Insurance as the cards only cover basic medical care and would not fly you home of needed (as far as I know ;-)). It could have changed now but that's how it used to work. Jo xx

[iforget]

You need to get the card mentioned in the other replies and within the EU this will entitle you to the same emergency treatment as any other EU national in that country.

Personally I would not travel without proper medical insurance cover which covers things like getting you home if you are too sick to travel by conventional means (with the EU card you are stuck there until you can get back under your own steam), or bringing your body back should you die overseas (sorry a bit morbid I know and hopefully unlikely scenario) Insurance cover can be the difference between being able to communicate with your doctor and not if there is a language barrier and its important to remember that social and medical language skills are vastly different (herein speaks the voice of experience)

[sospan in reply to iforget]

To add to the above sound advice - some hospitals and medical centres in Europe have refused to accept the EHiC cards as the level of cover doesn't meet all of their charges, so Travel Insurance is a must.

The other thing to take with you is the contact details of the local British consulate - not just the embassy. In the event of any problem the consulate staff will act as interpreters and sort out any local difficulty and liaise with your family back home.

I also used to take a proper self made first aid kit with me - not some of the wimpy travel ones. Well worth the couple of pounds it will cost to make

[B_S_A]

Thanks guys