Medical Information
If you have got your Visas and you are getting ready to go I suggest you do the following:
- Get down to your local surgery and ask your GP to gather up your records to take with you. Without doubt they will say they can't but under the Data Protection Act they must give you copies but do not have to include your GP’s ‘personal’ comments ….it really pays dividends to take the info with you as it will help when registering here. You may have to be insistent (as we had to be) and it may even cost you but do not be put off.
- Do not bother with trying the same with the dentist…..our experience is that they will not give you your records. You can try and I wish you luck.
- I also went to my optician for copies of his records and he agreed to give me copies.
- There will be other people you see/have seen and I suggest you approach them for copies of your notes, as it will make things that much easier once here.
In theory once in NZ you can register with any GP you want. Note, you will have to PAY each time you visit (about $55 a go!!!).
When registering they may well ask you to have a medical examination which is usually free. They are basically assessing what you may cost them in medical care…nice eh!!
GPs do not appear to make house calls out of hours but there do tend to be out of hours clinics that you can access
In NZ there is a State Insurance scheme called ACC. This is funded from taxation and allows that if you attend a GP or Physiotherapist or Osteopath because you have an injury you simply fill in a claim form and ACC will pick up the tab….or the majority of it……..so you may have to pay a small amount to cover the full costs.
In some cases, if you are unable to work due to injury sustained whilst working, ACC will pay your wages after an initial period.
Culture Shock
Sick pay, in very general terms is usually only for a period of 5 working days. If you are off for longer you then start eating into your holiday allowance or simply do not get paid unless ACC picks up the tab - most longer term illnesses seem to be as a result of an accident!
Hospitals appear modern and have a pretty good reputation but like the UK waiting times for specialists and some operations can be long but it will depend where you are in the country. Naturally, the 3 large cities fare less well on the timescales than smaller communities.
NOTE: It is very common for new migrants to go through a period, within the first 6 months, of flu like symptoms. This tends to actually be due to the change in the vitamin and mineral make up of the food here in NZ. NZ can be quiet deficient in minerals due to its volcanic nature. One key mineral which NZ is deficient in is Iodine which affects your thyroid function and leads to lethargy and tiredness. This tends to be added to standard table salt but if you are not happy with taking too much salt try taking a Kelp tablet day and night.
The solution to this situation is to take mineral supplements obtainable from any good Health Food Shop, such as Hardys. In our experience, with the supplements we were through the "detox" period within about 9 months.
Once in NZ, where sickness is concerned, you should consider taking 2 types of cover:
- Income Protection - this will pay you an income once you have been off work for a given period (minimum 4 weeks) until you return to work.
- Hospital Cover - this will pay for you to see a specialist, have any required tests and any hospitalisation (including operations) up to a set amount per incident, as a private patient. It can cover the whole family. You can get cover for all GP visits and dental work but obviously the premiums are very high……but then if you are likely to see a GP on a regular basis this may be money well spent!!!
For more info on the cover outlined above and complete medical cover insurance, email Mike
NEED A MEDICAL FOR YOUR VISA THEN CLICK HERE
The Number One Health Clinic at 1 Harley Street can undertake you and your families medicals day-time, evenings or Saturdays. The clinic has a on week turnaround and you should not have to wait more than a few days for an appointment TO BOOK CALL 0207 580 5467 OR EMAIL HERE– full details on website click HERE
