Spanish guy moving to London - Question about meds?

[SpanishCumdump1979]

Hey guys, I'm moving to London next week for work and I'd love to have nice raw top buddies to fill me on a regular basis.

Also, I'm on my meds regime here in Spain and I am curious about how it works in the UK. Anyone can recommend me a good doctor there to keep my treatment?

Thanks in advance!

[bb1991]

In England, health care and HIV meds are completely free. (Scotland, Wales and Ireland have slightly different rules)

First, you can't just go and see a HIV specialist you've been recommended, you will need to be referred. The easy way to do this is to go to a GUM Clinic (most big hospitals have them) or register with a GP. You will have to be tested for HIV before they refer you to the specialists and prescribe meds. Once prescribed, you take your prescription to a local pharmacy to pick up drugs.

Usually foreigners have to pay for medical treatment (although those in the EU get some treatments free with the European Health Insurance Card). However, HIV related treatment is free for all foreigners, and so is the medication. So you won't be charged for any HIV treatment or meds.

BUT if you're hospitalised for anything else, you'd probably have to pay. And if you need prescriptions for anything non HIV related, you have to pay £7.85 per item.

After (I believe its a year), you're treated as a permanent resident and thus are treated as if a British Citizen for NHS purposes -so you only pay for prescriptions; but all HIV stuff is still free.

You don't say why you're moving to the UK. Despite being from another EU country you can still be deported from the UK if you are "at risk of becoming an unreasonable burden on public funds" -ie. going to draw benefits or just coming to exploit the NHS.

So even under the EU freedom of movement laws, you still have to have a way to support yourself; IE. a job, a large amount of money, or you're coming to study etc.

IF you are coming to study or are supporting yourself without working, the UK requires EU nationals to have "comprehensive sickness insurance".

Hope that helps

If you need it- the UK Government have made quite a complicated thing explaining free HIV treatment for foreigners.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212952/DH-Guidance-HIV-and-NHS-Charging-fORMATED.pdf

[SpanishCumdump1979]

Thank you very much for your help, mate!!