Moving to UK with MS

Hello community; thanks for accepting me in the group. I’ve read a lot of your posts and they are fantastic. I would like your help with my situation. I might be moving to the UK (London) in the near future and I’m from Argentina without an EU passport but I’ll be granted a T2 Intercompany VISA.

I have MS from over 7 years now and I’m taking Gylena Fingolimod. Do you know it the NHS provides this droug?

Thanks for the help

Hello Obreme

If you have access to the NHS while here on a working visa (you’d need to check up on the Healthcare Surcharge arrangements), then yes, Fingolimod is available on the NHS.

Welcome to the forum and to the UK.

Sue

Hi Ssssue

Thanks for replying and for the welcome! Is the drug given for free? In Argentina my healthcare plan provides it for free (I have to present my medical history and RX every 6 months).

Thanks

You can get a prepaid certificate in which you pay about a 100 and something pounds, the prescriptions cost about nine pounds for each medication but with the certificate you can use it for all prescriptions. I have found it very good. But as I have an underactive thyroid and get my prescriptions free. It did save a lot of money with the prepaid one.

Kay

Thanks Kayrb

I get it but in case I have paid by Healthcare surcharge for my visa and I pay the 9 pounds for the prescriptions will the government give the medication for free?

Thanks

For uk citizens, NHS care is completely free. Yes, the majority of us pay about £9 for prescriptions. It looks to me though as if once you’ve paid your healthcare surcharge and have your visa, you can access the NHS just as if you were a UK citizen, so apart from prescription charges, the services are free.

Sue

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Thanks Ssssue Happy week to you all! On the other hand do you have any neurologist to recommend? Maybe I can start conversations and see what information might be needed Thanks

I think you’ll have to make sure you have sufficient supplies of Gilenya before you come to the U.K. (I’d aim for a few months worth if you can get it). Then when you arrive in the U.K., register with a GP. This is a general practitioner - you’ll find your local surgery depending on where you move to on line. Make an appointment to see the GP as soon as possible and ask for an urgent referral to a neurologist.

If you can, get copies of all your diagnostic tests before you come to Britain, especially copies of MRI scans. You’ll perhaps need a letter from your current neurologist (translated and the original) to pass on to the British neurologist. That way you’ll get your treatment expedited.

Theres no point in recommending a neurologist. Depending on where you end up living in the U.K., the most important thing is to get to see a neurologist - any one - and prove your diagnosis and current disease modifying drug.

Sue