Biscuitman

Does this mean I should pop down to Wales every two months to get my presciption? The chemists down there will be choc-a-bloc every weekend.

Medicine to be free for visitors
May 19 2005
Martin Shipton, Western Mail

VISITORS to Wales from elsewhere in the UK and the rest of the EU will be
entitled to free prescriptions once they are introduced in 2007, it has been
confirmed.

An Assembly Government spokesman told the Western Mail, "Arrangements are in
place for people to be given the appropriate treatment if they become ill while
visiting Wales. This includes people from the rest of the UK and the EU.

"If someone from another part of the UK fell ill while visiting Wales, they
would need to register as a temporary resident with a local GP. If they require
any medication, they would be given a bilingual prescription, which would then
entitle them to a lower rate prescription or free prescription after 2007.

"We have not yet explored the impact that the UK's reciprocal agreements have
for treating people from other EU countries. Our current proposals on free
prescriptions do not exclude EU residents covered by these arrangements.
However, we do not envisage more people from EU countries visiting Wales just to
take advantage of our free prescriptions policy."

The Assembly Government clarified its position after releasing to the Western
Mail material relating to the free prescription policy that it had previously
sought to keep secret.

The material disclosed consisted of emails sent by Department of Health
officials in London to each other. One email said, "We have reciprocal health
agreements which provide that people from partner states temporarily visiting
the UK are entitled to treatment on the same terms as residents of the UK.

"For the countries of the EU (and the European Economic Area and Switzerland)
there is a multilateral instrument which applies in all member states and which
aims to co-ordinate health care schemes of the member states. This is Regulation
(EEC) 1408/71. Article 22 says people referred to another member state
specifically for treatment, or those on temporary visits to another member state
are entitled to health care 'in accordance' with provisions of the legislation
which it - ie the member state of temporary stay - administers'."

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IF THE EU WAS THE ANSWER, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A STUPID QUESTION!

Hudson

Lemme guess: anybody at all who comes to Britain gets free healthcare provided they are not UK citizens?

How nice of us Brits to be so generous. How noble of us to provide free health care for the rest of the world. Don't you just get a big, warm glow inside every time you pay your taxes?

So what if your operation is delayed by another six months! Just think how all the foreigners are benefitting, is that not reward enough?