This policy outlines the procedure for patients travelling abroad for short and long periods of time.
NHS and Richford Gate Policy
By law, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for the medical care of patients when they leave the UK. In addition, GPs are not required by their terms of service to provide prescriptions for the treatment of a condition that is not present and may arise while the patient is abroad.
The NHS does accept responsibility for supplying ongoing medication for temporary periods abroad of up to 3 months. However, if a person is going to be abroad for more than 3 months then the NHS can only provide a sufficient supply of regular medication (a maximum of 3 months) in order to get to their destination, where they should then find an alternative supply.
Due to this, medication supply of longer than 3 months can not be issued on NHS prescriptions.