Humanitarian Aid: Health Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the written answer of 5 December 2025 to question 93353, whether citizens of the British Overseas Territories are treated differently from other non-ordinarily resident citizens.
Answered by Karin Smyth
Entitlement to National Health Service care, free at the point of use, is based on ordinary residence. Anyone who is not ordinarily resident is considered an overseas visitor and may be chargeable under the NHS Charging Regulations, unless an exemption applies.
A healthcare agreement is an example of an exemption, as the healthcare agreements between the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories (BOT) allow for some BOT citizens to access pre-authorised treatment that has been agreed under the NHS quota system or funded by the BOT administration. Some eligible BOT residents can also access necessary healthcare without charge while temporarily in the UK.
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