Any Immigration/Doctors about?

[Castiel]

A friend of mine who is South African (British Passport and lives and works here), has a neice (18) in South Africa who recently had a serious hit and run accident in Cape Town.

To cut a long story short, she is now in a semi catatonic state and needs serious rehabilitation which she cannot recieve in South Africa.

(waiting for the email if more info is needed)

Is it possible, considering that my Friends Brother, the girl's Father is entitled to the same British citizenship (their Father is British) to bring her here to the UK so she can receive the treatment she desperately needs.

Who would they contact and how would they go about arranging such as thing if it is at all possible.

There is some money available to cover her treatment if neccessary.


Thanks in advance,and please as this is a sensitive issue could we not have the usual GD anti-immigration malarky.

 

[Ahleckz]

NHS entitlement depends on your length and purpose of residence in the UK, that much I know. Also, generally speaking you can only get it if the need arises in the UK. We have recepricol health agreements with other countries that allow people to be referred to the UK depending on a Dr.'s evaluation.
No doctor is going to authorize moving a patient in that state from SA to the UK though, especially for rehabilitation.

It doesn't matter that her father is a British citizen. If they lived in the UK, then yes she would be applicable but not in this case.

 

[Rroff]

I wish you and her the best of luck with this.

One thing I do know they charge around £15/minute for moving a patient in this state - which someone has to pay - so I can see that being a major obstacle due to bureaucracy if you go through the relavent embassies it should be possible tho to have her moved and treated here privately.

 

[Destination]

A friend of mine who is South African (British Passport and lives and works here), has a neice (18) in South Africa who recently had a serious hit and run accident in Cape Town.

To cut a long story short, she is now in a semi catatonic state and needs serious rehabilitation which she cannot recieve in South Africa.

(waiting for the email if more info is needed)

Is it possible, considering that my Friends Brother, the girl's Father is entitled to the same British citizenship (their Father is British) to bring her here to the UK so she can receive the treatment she desperately needs.

Who would they contact and how would they go about arranging such as thing if it is at all possible.

There is some money available to cover her treatment if neccessary.


Thanks in advance,and please as this is a sensitive issue could we not have the usual GD anti-immigration malarky.

When my wife was here as my Fiancee she wasn't entitled to any NHS treatment, it wasn't until she had a 'leave to remain' visa that she was entitled to any such treatment.

If anyone from here was abroad and required such treatment, the NHS wouldn't pay for your movement home, that would be your travel insurance.
If you did somehow manage to bundle her into the country, and get her past immigration, then she would likely be treated.

From how you describe the scene, I doubt she is entitled to any treatment in the UK at all, and certainly not entitled to any movement into the UK for treatment. Quite sad she can't get the therapy she needs in South Africa, but there is a great amount of tax paid here by taxpayers to aloow for the standard of care we take for granted.

Hope she pulls through.

 

[Gog]

In short, the chances are virtually nil for treatment on the NHS.

Longer version is that she is unlikley to qualify for registration as a BC as it normally only pases one generation from abroad. She'd qualify for limited entry under the ancestry rules, but wouldn't be able to access public funds by that route.

If there is funding to pay for the treatment then she could apply for entry as a visitor for private medical treatment. See http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visitingtheuk/privatemedicaltreatment/

 

[franco_22]

I know in Australia and Canada that, after you're 18 you can't rely on parents let alone nieces and aunts to get citizenship. I'm not sure if the UK is the same but if it is then she can't get british citizenship through anyone apart from passing a point system test.

 

[Castiel]

Thanks so far chaps.

It doesn't look hopeful. I will pass on the info to my mate.

 

[j00ni]

It is entirely possible for her to be transferred to, and treated in, the UK - and most doctors would accept a transfer if there was clinical need. For example we recently accepted a (american with british husband) patient from a bahrain hospital who had a stroke over there, back to the uk for rehab.

However, the issue will be with funding. As stated above, the liklihood is that she would not be able to be treated as a British citizen and fully entitled to free NHS care - though with private funding she would likely be able to access NHS resources such as specialist rehab services.

I would suggest getting in contact with a) any private insurers she has, b) the british consulate, c) the hospital or primary care trust in the UK to which they intend to repatriate her (to both find out the name of a consultant in an appropriate specialty to accept her under their care, and to find out what their policy is for repatriation), and d) her hospital doctors in SA to write to their british counterparts - all of which should be able to detail what would be required

 

[dpbadger]

Why can't she receive it in Cape Town it has a good medical service. Or was the person un-insured. If so i'm not sure how much a medical flight here would be.
Dave

 

[Castiel]

It is entirely possible for her to be transferred to, and treated in, the UK - and most doctors would accept a transfer if there was clinical need. For example we recently accepted a (american with british husband) patient from a bahrain hospital who had a stroke over there, back to the uk for rehab.

However, the issue will be with funding. As stated above, the liklihood is that she would not be able to be treated as a British citizen and fully entitled to free NHS care - though with private funding she would likely be able to access NHS resources such as specialist rehab services.

I would suggest getting in contact with a) any private insurers she has, b) the british consulate, c) the hospital or primary care trust in the UK to which they intend to repatriate her (to both find out the name of a consultant in an appropriate specialty to accept her under their care, and to find out what their policy is for repatriation), and d) her hospital doctors in SA to write to their british counterparts - all of which should be able to detail what would be required

We have located a rehabilitation centre (Glenside neurological rehabilitiaion and care centre near Salisbury) near to where my friend lives and he and I are going tommorrow to have a talk to the Doctor in Charge there. From the discussion we had with one of their consultants on the phone it all seems very hopeful and workable. From the medical records we emailed him, he says the South African Prognosis is questionable. Anyway we shall see.

As for funding, we have around £800,000 between Myself, my Friend and the Girls Parents available immediately, and around double that again once her Parents have sold their house and liquidated their assets. We have no idea at the moment how much this will cost, but we have a beginning.

 

[Castiel]

Why can't she receive it in Cape Town it has a good medical service. Or was the person un-insured. If so i'm not sure how much a medical flight here would be.
Dave

The Medical Care in South Africa is nowhere near as good as it is here, they are not equiped for the long term rehabilitation she requires.

They are reasonably wealthy (most White South Africans are) and are insured, but as with most things insurance will only go so far and the level of care to cost in the UK is far better.

People shout down our medical facilities and the NHS, but just try living in SA, or even Canada, where one of my brother's wife now has to wait 9 months to see a specialist and she is paying.

 

[Sin_Chase]

South Africa has some of the best medical care available (Private sector)....is this just a case of not wanting to/cannot afford to pay/wanting them closer to home?

If there are reasons outside of this post fair enough but I would be shocked if you could find better care in the UK compared to SA.

 

[SlugForAButt]

Good luck.
Hopefully, the money that would have been spent on moving her to the UK for treatment can actually be spent on treatment now.

 

[Castiel]

South Africa has some of the best medical care available (Private sector)....is this just a case of not wanting to/cannot afford to pay/wanting them closer to home?

If there are reasons outside of this post fair enough but I would be shocked if you could find better care in the UK compared to SA.

Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. Each facility they have looked at concentrates on long-term care and not long-term rehabilitation, which seems to be the opposite here.

It is not a question of funding, We are prepared for the costs and she is South African, so is her immediate Family so South Africa would be closer to home so I am a little confused over that statement.