NHS hospital treatment is not free for everyone. If you are visiting the United Kingdom (UK) or you are not an ordinary UK resident and require treatment in our hospitals, you may have to pay for your treatment. Please contact the Hospital Overseas Visitors Team to obtain estimated costs or to check your NHS eligibility.
Overseas Patients An overseas patient is someone who is not ordinarily resident in the UK and does not permanently live in the UK. If you are visiting the UK or have lived outside the UK in last 12 months, you may have to pay for the NHS hospital treatment whilst you are here. This is regardless of whether you are a British Citizen, born in the UK, have an NHS number, have National Insurance Number, have property in the UK, currently paying tax, have paid tax in the past or have lived or worked here in the past.
A person does not become ordinarily resident in the UK and entitled to free NHS treatment simply by:
Whether a person is ordinarily resident is based on a number of factors which will be taken into account and evidence required.
NHS services and treatments which are free for everyone Some NHS services are free to everyone. These include:
Who is exempt from charges? Some visitors to the UK are entitled to NHS hospital treatment free of charge. These include people working for UK-based employers and who have paid Health Surcharge or who are covered under certain Reciprocal Agreements.
How can I prove that I am entitled to free hospital treatment? NHS hospitals have a duty to identify and charge overseas patients for hospital treatment they receive. Hospitals are required to check documentary evidence of entitlement to prove that you are ordinarily resident in the UK.
If you can’t provide the documents you may have to pay a deposit equal to the estimated cost of your treatment before you receive an appointment or treatment. Inline with the UK Charging Regulations patients with outstanding debts are reported to the Home Office and payments are collected through the Debt Collector Agencies and it may affect their UK Visa status or entry to the UK.
Further information
In order to assist patients, data we hold about you may be used to assist identification of potential chargeable patients; the use of your data in this way will not affect your chargeability status. For more information please contact UHCW Overseas Visitors Team, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, 5th Floor, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Opposite Ward 52, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry, CV2 2DX, UK.
Tel: 024 7696 5016 (ext: 25016) or by email at: uhc-tr.overseaspatients@nhs.net or by Fax: 024 7696 5081
For more information, please see the documents below:
You can call 111 when you need medical help fast, but it's not a 999 emergency. NHS111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones in England.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, e.g. fever, loss of taste or continuous new cough, please DO NOT attend for a blood test.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.