Moving to the UK when pregnant

[RedDress]

Hi all,

I just found out I'm pregnant and due in April. I currently live in Ireland but am moving to the UK for work in September (with my current employer). I think all my antenatal care should be covered by NHS but am not 100% sure. Also because I'll be around 11-14 weeks pregnant when I arrive in the UK, I'm afraid to be missing some important antenatal appointments and screening tests and I won't have them before I leave Ireland (like the dating scan or the down syndrome one)
Any tips or advice as to how I should approach this? Is the solution to go private??

thanks!

 

[Rednursie]

Hi all,

I just found out I'm pregnant and due in April. I currently live in Ireland but am moving to the UK for work in September (with my current employer). I think all my antenatal care should be covered by NHS but am not 100% sure. Also because I'll be around 11-14 weeks pregnant when I arrive in the UK, I'm afraid to be missing some important antenatal appointments and screening tests and I won't have them before I leave Ireland (like the dating scan or the down syndrome one)
Any tips or advice as to how I should approach this? Is the solution to go private??

thanks!

Hi redress. I have just moved to Ireland from the uk where I lived for 11 years And worked for the nhs for my sins lol. You will be covered by the nhs if you are working. The first thing you have to do is register with a GP. You will need proof of your address and some ID to do this. If you know exactly where you are moving to then search for gp practices that cover your post code that are taking on new patients and make your registration appointment before you get there. You can find this out on nhs choices. When youve registered they will refer you to the midwives who will arrange the rest of your antenatal care and just pick up from where you left off in Ireland. Where are you having your antenatal are in Ireland though? As if you will only be 11 weeks when you move you probably wont have seen anyone yet apart from your GP XXXX

 

[RedDress]

Hi Rednursie,

thanks a lot for your reply very good to have someone who both knows the Irish and British system.
I haven't been to the GP yet as I know I won't be able to go to any maternity hospital before I leave when I should be around 10 weeks pregnant. Then I'll be on on holidays abroad and arriving in the UK when 11 or 12 weeks pregnant. I know where I will live but I'm not sure how fast it is to get an appointment to the GP and then a referral to the midwives/hospital? For my first baby I saw the GP at week 5 then got my first hospital appointment at week 14 so I'm a bit anxious that I won't get those important screening tests on time.
I suppose I need a national insurance number to register with the GP...

thanks again

 

[Rednursie]

You don't need your national insurance number to register with your GP-Just proof of address and ID. Make an appointment in advance to register with the GP for as soon as you arrive. They will fast track you to get you through for a scan as they will prioritise you based on your dates. Try not to stress about it too much, just research what Gp your going to register at and make sure you have your address proof & ID so your prepared. Good luck! xxx

 

[RedDress]

Hi Rednursie,

Very clear - I will try to get a proof of address as soon as I arrive then.

thanks again.

 

[RedDress]

Hi again Rednursie,

Sorry to be a pain but is this the form I would need to complete? You think it's okay to send back even without a national insurance number?
http://www.nhs.uk/Servicedirectories/Documents/GMS1.pdf

thanks a million

 

[Rednursie]

That looks like the right form but Id just take it along with you when your registering, I wouldn't send it off in advance as they won't take you on without your proof of address. I'd just phone up the surgery your planning to register at and say your planning to register and they'll tell you what you need to take in xxx

 

[RedDress]

@Rednursie: again thank you!