Moving to Canada

[azure]

NHS rules. I've applied them for someone in one of those warm countries relatively recently. As another poster says GPs use their common sense - you won't be delisted generally for a 6 month cruise but if it was known you were living abroad then you would be. It's not necessarily the primary care that's the issue but the use of secondary care.

I thought providing evidence that you were usually resident in the UK, etc, would mean you didn't have to pay for NHS treatment. That is, if you could show you had lived here continuously previously and would do so in the future (ie your time abroad was temporary)?

 

[cott97]

Only if that time is 3 months or less. You become eligible again on your full time return to the UK

 

[TypeOne2007]

Hi all,

I should probably start by giving a brief outline . So I'm type 1, have been for 17 years, always struggled and finally got a kick up the bum to sort it out in 2015. HbA1c down from 108 to 80 ( maybe less I have a check up soon , fingers crossed). I am also the girlfriend of someone in the Army, who has just been told he is being posted to Canada!

I've always assumed I could never be a traveller or imagined moving to another country because of my diabetes as I'm not sure how the care would work and monitoring ( which currently is every 3 months because I'm trying to reduce my hba1c). However I have noticed from various social media following and forums that actually there are a few people who do this and do so fine and well.

I'm just wondering if there was anyone on here who had also moved abroad or travelled for a long length of time and any tips and how it all works really with prescriptions and care. Do you get seen there ? Do you come home for appointments ? Do you get meds from a doctor there or here?

I moved to Australia and luckily they have a health care scheme that covers most of my medicines and doctors visits. However for Canada you should probably get health insurance to help cover the cost of your treatment or research what the options are. When I moved I brought enough insulin to last me a few months because this is the hardest thing to get. Things like strips and needles, I brought a few boxes. I would say the best bet on getting prescriptions would be to go to a GP when you get there and they should be able to advise you on how your treatment will work there. Good luck!

 

[chloenelson1993]

"ordinarily resident" is the concept behind the rules on someone having to pay tax in the UK, but for some reason, people think it is OK to tell the HMRC they don't live in the UK, but yet come back to use the NHS when needed.

I wouldn't be using the NHS whilst I am away and my boyfriend doesn't either he is seen by the military medics. And he still pays his taxes and I a British Born resident and will be travelling temporarily for 2 years.

Not sure what tax has to do with my post

 

[chloenelson1993]

Thank you to all the helpful and informative posts.

UPDATE

I am not entitled to healthcare from the Army as we are not married and have both decided we would prefer not to get married for the sake of free accommodation and healthcare, it also wouldn't give us much time as he goes away in 9 weeks and is currently posted in Germany.

In the meantime I applied for a working travel visa for Canada which lasts up to 2 years and was feeling hopeless after seeing that this can take up to 1 year to hear back and there was only a 25% chance. However to my surprise I have had a reply with an invitation to apply for my visa . I still need to go for a medical and maybe other tests depending on what comes back from them realising I'm diabetic as I haven't actually had to disclose it on any forms as of yet . Fingers crossed my medical and diabetes doesn't let me down .

The stress is already playing funny ****** with my blood sugars so hopefully this doesn't impact too much.

 

[azure]

Ooh, exciting @chloenelson1993 ! Thank you for updating the thread.

Good luck!

 

[DCUKMod]

Thank you to all the helpful and informative posts.

UPDATE

I am not entitled to healthcare from the Army as we are not married and have both decided we would prefer not to get married for the sake of free accommodation and healthcare, it also wouldn't give us much time as he goes away in 9 weeks and is currently posted in Germany.

In the meantime I applied for a working travel visa for Canada which lasts up to 2 years and was feeling hopeless after seeing that this can take up to 1 year to hear back and there was only a 25% chance. However to my surprise I have had a reply with an invitation to apply for my visa . I still need to go for a medical and maybe other tests depending on what comes back from them realising I'm diabetic as I haven't actually had to disclose it on any forms as of yet . Fingers crossed my medical and diabetes doesn't let me down .

The stress is already playing funny ****** with my blood sugars so hopefully this doesn't impact too much.

Exciting times!

I had a feeling you'd have to be married to come under the services health umbrella. It would have been pretty perfect (but when is life ever?), but on the upside you won't constantly be known as w/o (wife of).

That prefix never applied to me, being there in my own right, but I detested using it for spouses. My day to day act of defiance/non-compliance (call it what you will) to just refer to folks as Mrs. The treatments/services they "enjoyed" were exactly the same as a serving person, so why de-personalise things?

Keep us abreast of how things go for you. I'm certainly interested to know how the big adventure pans out, and I bet others are the same.

 

[beckysalvage]

I have discussed all of these issues with my GP and heathcare team before I left. My contract is for 2 years only, and I have been diabetic for 26 years. Although I have access to a healthcare system in my work country, there is no diabetic care system as such. Diabetics here have access to some types of insulin, but not to testing materials. Sadly, in a lot of cases the condition goes undiagnosed and results in a much shortened life span. The insulin they offer on their version of the NHS is not what I use in the UK. The last time I changed my insulin whilst I was in the UK it took a full year, with many trips to the GP, to get it right. I am not going to risk changing my insulin now, to something which when I return to the UK in a years time, I will have to then readjust back. I would be a greater burden on the heathcare system doing this, and also on the NHS when I come home. I can understand that doing this long term is not fair, but I do not think that I should be denied the opportunity to work in another country for a short time just because of the difficulties of this condition. I am proud (and I know, very lucky!) to have an NHS system which has the ability to support someone like me to follow a dream somewhere else for a short period of time.

 

[chloenelson1993]

Hi all

Just a quick update.

I had my medical and although my hba1c was 70 the medmigration doctor said he wasn't concerned as it has come down from 103 2 years ago and had reduced from 78 on the last month only . He said they were concerned about kidney problems and other serious problems as dialysis would be costly for them.

I sent my application off only 2 weeks ago and.... I got an email yesterday to say I have been approved .

I have been very lucky in that it has actually only taking me 6 weeks ( and a fair few pounds) to get this as I know people have waited up to a year before even being considered, if they even do.

So it's all systems go and I'm going to have to do some deep investigating now as to what I need to do when with regards to healthcare etc,it's definitely not something I want to be messing around with( I also have organisational issues).

Wish me luck

 

[DCUKMod]

Hi all

Just a quick update.

I had my medical and although my hba1c was 70 the medmigration doctor said he wasn't concerned as it has come down from 103 2 years ago and had reduced from 78 on the last month only . He said they were concerned about kidney problems and other serious problems as dialysis would be costly for them.

I sent my application off only 2 weeks ago and.... I got an email yesterday to say I have been approved .

I have been very lucky in that it has actually only taking me 6 weeks ( and a fair few pounds) to get this as I know people have waited up to a year before even being considered, if they even do.

So it's all systems go and I'm going to have to do some deep investigating now as to what I need to do when with regards to healthcare etc,it's definitely not something I want to be messing around with( I also have organisational issues).

Wish me luck

That really is fantastic news Chloe.