To help us keep our patients, staff and visitors safe, stop the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and keep our hospitals running, we are restricting visiting to essential visitors only – click here for more information
To be entitled to free NHS-funded care, you need to be “ordinarily resident” in the United Kingdom. To establish your eligibility, you may be asked questions about your residential status.
You should be prepared to provide evidence if requested and this would be one item from the folowing list.
(The proof you use must be less than three months old. Your name and address needs to be on the letter):
Overseas Team
Conquest Hospital
The Ridge
St Leonards-on-Sea
East Sussex, TN37 7RD
NHS trusts have a legal obligation to identify patients who are not entitled to free NHS treatment and to make and recover charges for the NHS services provided. These obligations are set out in the guidance published by the Department of Health.
The countries are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus (Southern), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland by special arrangement.
Please note that if the agreement is withdrawn during your treatment you will become immediately responsible for the cost of the remainder of your course of treatment.
The countries are currently
Anguilla, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Montserrat, New Zealand, Serbia, St Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands
Treatment received in our Emergency Departments (A&E) is free. However, if you are admitted to hospital as an inpatient or receive any outpatient appointments charges will apply.
For those overseas citizens in possession of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) please present your card to our Emergency Department reception staff.
If your country of residence has a reciprocal agreement covering your emergency treatment in the UK, please advise our Emergency Department reception staff.
In these instances we will re-coup the cost of your care from your country of residence.
We will always provide treatment that a clinician has assessed as immediately necessary or urgent. All maternity treatment is regarded as immediately necessary. Treatment is not free however by virtue of it being immediately necessary or urgent and if you are a chargeable overseas visitor, you will be charged for any admitted or outpatient care you receive.
For treatment assessed by a clinician as non-urgent, the full estimated cost of treatment must be paid before treatment is provided. This will include the cost of initial assessment and investigations to make a diagnosis. You will be provided with our bank details and a unique reference to be able to make payment to an account for your treatment.
If you have private health insurance you must provide a letter of guarantee from your insurer to cover the full cost of your treatment. If you are unable to provide a letter of guarantee you will be required to pay for your healthcare yourself.
You will have the opportunity to pay:
With all payment methods you should quote the account number on your invoice.
All routine and planned care must be paid for in advance of care being received.
Please contact the overseas visitors’ team to discuss your individual circumstances as this may vary on a case by case basis or for further guidance and support:
