hi

[eldestblade]

can anyone tell me how long we can stay out of the uk,without it affecting our nhs services please,we have been told its 6 months any advice welcome thanx steve

[stoop]

I believe it's 6 months as well.

[number2]

I thought if your home is still in England it wouldn't make any difference, how do these students go on if they take 12 months off and go backpacking, surely they are still entitled, i didn't go to my doctors for years, does heknow if i'm in the country or not, they still get paid by the nhs. Alan

[tribalelder]

The ruling was six months but if you have occasion to use the NHS.....in the nicest possible taste........Keep Your Gob SHUT!:D

[wickwilly]

If you pay tax in the UK you are entitled to NHS service no matter how long you are out of the country.

WW

[Carpete]

Even if you have paid tax for 40 years, retired and drawing your pension I am sorry to say that should you be absent 1 day over 6 months you loose your NHS entitlement. And with modern technology they will  soon have no trouble in obtaining that info via. your passport. And yes, its  a blooming cheek!!!!

[Tykatem]

Why is it a "blooming cheek" If one decides to leave the country to live elsewhere surely they give up their rights to the benefits received there? the term cake and eat it springs to mind

Pete

[jo b]

What about if you still own a property in the UK then?

My inlaws live in Ovacik from the end of April and are comimg home on 24th November so they will be in Turkey over six months.But they still have their house here and will spend the winter here and then repeat the same timetable next year.

How long to do you have to be back before you can use the NHS again?

[Carpete]

If you have paid tax in the UK for over 40 years, paid for the NHS via. contributions all that time and never claimed any money in council or social secutiry benefits why is it cheeky to expect that the country you own your home in should penalise you for being away during the year? This restriction also applies if you take the 6 months in seperate sections ie. 3 x 6 weeks, 1 x 8 weeks 1 day in a year. And we pay a punative council tax (at the full rate) plus still pay income tax on our pension! This is not "leaving the country"  Tykatem, this is called  exercising our right to spend time abroad where it doesn't keep raining all month! Re: above, don't know but I would think at least a year.

[jacx]

What if neither or you are retirement age but decide to sell up and live in turkey, can you still pay your own NHS contributions so that you will still be able to get your pension.At the moment my contributions are automatically paid through my work, but Terry my other half pays his own as he works for himself.