All patients are asked about their residential status on arrival at the hospital.
All emergency care in the Accident and Emergency and Minor Injury Unit is free of charge. NHS Fife will provide any essential treatment during your visit. If your treatment is not required immediately, we may advise you to wait until you return to your home country. Your health and wellbeing is our highest priority.
Treatments that are deemed necessary and cannot wait until you return home may be chargeable. This includes inpatient, outpatient and day-case treatments.
The Overseas Administrative Team will try to meet with you whilst you are in hospital to discuss your personal circumstances and gather any exemption documentation. We will be able to advise if you are liable to be charged for your treatment.
If you have travel insurance, the team will work with you and your insurance company to help provide the necessary information, covering the costs of your treatment or reimbursing you.
If you fall under any exemption category, we will require documentary evidence confirming this, such as:
- E-Visa – provide a share code using UKVI account
- Working Visa
- Study Visa
- European Health insurance Card (EHIC)
- Marriage certificate/passport and spouses study/work visa
or E-Visa - The team will take photocopies of your documentation
for audit purposes.
Please contact the Overseas Visitors Administration Team, who with work with the Finance Team to help you set up a payment plan if needed. Also, please send the team copies of your exemption evidence. The invoice will then be cancelled, if appropriate.
If you have any questions, please contact our team at Fife.healthrecordsoverseasvisitors@nhs.scot
For more national health information, visit NHS inform at nhsinform.scot
Accessible formats
If you require this information in a community language or alternative format such as Braille, audio, large print, BSL, or Easy Read, please contact the Equality and Human Rights Team at: email: fife.EqualityandHumanRights@nhs.scot or phone 01592 729130. For people with a hearing or verbal impairment you can also contact the team through the NHS Fife SMS text service number on 07805800005.
