Health Service Rights

[SteveyC]

Whats the score with these and various visas. Is it a case of no Health Insurance, no treatment, or minor treatment only or what? In particular what public services do you have access to on a WHV.
I am on the NHS( :icon_twisted: ) waiting list for my tonsils to be removed EIGHT MONTHS dammit!! Was wondering if I could get this done in NZ or would I have to come back to UK, if I don't get Residency for a while.

[Welshgirl]

Coming from the UK, whilst on a WHV, you are only entitled to emergency medical treatment at a hospital. Anything else you have to pay for. Once you have residency, most hospital treatment is available free, but you will still have to pay for an appointment with a GP.
So, you could have your tonsils taken out here, probably a very short wait too, but unfortunately, unless you get residency first, you would have to pay for it!

[moggy]

I would recommend that you you contact the waiting list manager and see if you can get a cancellation and get em taken out sooner. You could also ask your GP to invesitate waiting times in other health trusts, if you are willing to travel a couple of hundred miles, you may be able to get the operation done sooner that way.
Or if it was me, I wouldn't bother getting the GP to do it, I would spend a day ringing round myself, find the one with the shortest waiting list and ask your GP to refer you to it. There may even be waiting list times posted on the net these days.

It'd be quicker and easier to rip the blighters out yourself!

That way, when you make a hash of it, you'll get immediate emergency treatment to have it corrected :icon_biggrin:

Ok, so maybe i'll stick to immigration advice, as opposed to medical advice....

[SteveyC]

Hehe could be worth a try.

[jongerman]

Why get your tonsils removed? Is that common in the UK? It's usually not a good idea, unless your a child.

Don't know much about the NZ Health Care yet, but thanks all for the posts. I'll be going on a WHV in Oct. from the US.

Jon

[moggy]

[quote:46bf2c0038="jongerman"]Why get your tonsils removed? Is that common in the UK? It's usually not a good idea, unless your a child.

[/quote:46bf2c0038]
Usually it is done as a last resort and rarely in children nowadays. I got mine taken out at 26, but that was only because I had had tonsilitis about every month for year before the op and prior to that had had it at least twice a year or more for several years the only reason that they finally decided to take them out was because I ended up in hospital for a week with an abcess on them.

Believe me taking them out was definitely a good idea!!!

[SteveyC]

Same here, has throat infections all the time since I was a kid. When mine swell up they meet in the middle so I can't eat anthing and struggle breathing. Reason enough me thinks. :icon_sad: