Overseas Visitors Advice and Liaison Services

Responsibilities

The National Health Service (NHS) provides free hospital treatment for people who are “Ordinarily Resident” in the UK.

A person does not become “Ordinarily Resident” in the UK simply by: having a British Nationality, holding a British passport, being registered with a GP, having an NHS number, owning a property in the UK, or having paid (or currently paying) National Insurance contributions and taxes in this country.

The Overseas Visitors Hospital Charging Regulations 2018 (as amended) place a Legal Obligation on NHS Trusts in England to establish whether a person is an Overseas Visitor to whom charges apply or whether a person is an Overseas Visitor to whom charges apply or whether they are exempt by virtue of the charging regulations.