Paphos People

Hi

My name is Martha Clarke. My husband and I are moving to Cyprus in the next year. we will be pensioners when we move and would appreciate advice/guidance on the following subjects: how to access the NHS, collect repeat prescriptions, a dentist. Any other advice would be gratefully received. We are moving from Glasgow and would also loike advice on moving our furniture by freight.

Thanks in advance for all advice and guidance from Paphos Peope

Martha

Hi Martha

When I turned 60 I received a pack from DWP at Newcastle containing form E121 which I filled in and took to the General Hospital, and received a pink medical card which entitles me to treatment at the General. I pay €2 each time I see a doctor (including consultant), and this covers my prescriptions as well, but if you are over 65 you don't pay anything. You receive a prescription book which the doctor fills in and you retain the book after the chemist has filled the prescription - there is now a doctor at the General every day just for repeat prescriptions, so you take your book in and he writes a new one out, already knowing from your counterfoils in your book what you have already been prescribed. Its an excellent system.

In your case, make sure you apply for an E121 which will tide you over until you can get all the documentation you require. It will probably be worth contacting Newcastle and explaining the situation so that they can guide you in the right direction. I'm not sure about dentists at the General, but someone will come along who has the answer for you, but I believe to see a dentist privately is much cheaper than in the UK.

I used M & S shipping when I moved over here, and they sent a local company in to me to collect the goods (I'm from Lancashire), who then forwarded to M & S for onward shipment. A very smooth transaction indeed.

Do please keep asking questions - if any of us can help we will do so, and welcome to Paphos People.

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Jean

Retirement - harder work than working - But much more fun

Jean would probably agree with this advice. Join Nationwide and get a Flexaccount. In fact get more than one Flexaccount. Get one in joint names , one in your name and one in your Husbands name.
This will give you 4 debit cards that can be used on your accounts in Scotland.
At the moment you need do no more than that, apart from arrange for pensions to be paid into Nationwide accounts, and sign up for Internet banking.

When you move here you notify them of your new address. This does not have to be immediately as you can via the Post Office, have you mail forwarded here for up to at least 6 months.

When you get here you can withdraw about €350 per card per day, out of the ATM's here.ie €1,400. There are NO charges and you get the best rate.

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I HAVE A PICASA WEB ALBUM SHOWING THE BUILDING OF OUR HOME IN POLEMI. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW IT, THEN JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL OR PM, FOR THE LIVE LINK.

Yes, Dudley - definitely agree with that. Two of my private pensions won't pay overseas, so that's why I opened the account. I actually have my state pension paid direct into my Alpha Bank account, and get a very good rate of exchange.

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Jean

Retirement - harder work than working - But much more fun

How many months medication do you get before you have to go again for a repeat prescription ?

I honestly don't know, as I am not really on continuous medication, but again, I'm sure someone will be along who is, and can answer your question.

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Jean

Retirement - harder work than working - But much more fun

Usually two months but some are three months.

D

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I HAVE A PICASA WEB ALBUM SHOWING THE BUILDING OF OUR HOME IN POLEMI. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW IT, THEN JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL OR PM, FOR THE LIVE LINK.

Thanks Dudley .

My next question to anyone who knows , how much do they charge for prescriptions ?

Is it a fixed amount for each item ?

When do people quilifiy for free prescriptions , is it age or having an E121 ?

Mine are meds for the heart , my wife has the hrt patch , so both long term.

thank you.

If your wife is 60 then you both get it - if you are 65 then you both get it. It's 2 euros to see the doctor at the General, and that includes everything on your prescription. You can get an E109 (I think it is) from the UK that covers you for (again I think!) 18 months treatment at the General - useful if you are coming up to retirement age.

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Jean

Retirement - harder work than working - But much more fun

You might get one of these before you move

E 111


Claim health treatment in Europe (European Health Insurance Card ...Inside the European Economic Area (EEA), free or reduced-cost emergency treatment is available to UK patients with a European Health Insurance Card or EHIC ...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/diol1/doitonline/dg_4018163 - Cached

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John

In Arduis Fidelis

Welcome to Paphos people Martha

please feel free to ask as many questions as you like,
we are more than willing to assist when we can ..

Welcome again ..

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REACH 1000`s of PAPHOS CUSTOMERS EVERY DAY FOR A FRACTION OF WHAT THE OTHERS CHARGE
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Whilst the optimist and the pessimist argued that the whisky glass was either half full
or half empty ? .
I drank it .....
The opportunist..

Sorry to be hijacking this thread Marha , but I am sure the answers will be useful to others planing their move.

My next questions , if you get a prescription at the hospital , can it only be filled at the hospital ? eg if you do not have the time to wait can you go to any chemist ?

Are there GPs all over the island Polis ,Kathikas etc that you can register at with your E121 and do they make home visits as in the UK ?

Thanks to everyone who answered my post. I am most grateful for all the info. This info has helped to put my mind at rest regarding my initial slight anxieties about movng tp Paphos.

Kind regards

Martha

If you get a prescription from a doctor at the hospital then you need to go the the Hospitals pharmacist to obtain your medications. One difference here is that you can go to the Pharmacies in the street and buy 'prescription' drugs over the counter.

You can register with any GP in any town or village but you don't need the E121 as you will have to pay for the treatment you receive. The costs are not Prohibitive. Some doctors do make home visits.

D

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I HAVE A PICASA WEB ALBUM SHOWING THE BUILDING OF OUR HOME IN POLEMI. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW IT, THEN JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL OR PM, FOR THE LIVE LINK.

Welcome to PP Martha, and good luck with the move - look forward to seeing you at some of our nights out!

The medication I get regularly breaks the rules. I have to pay additional money at the chemists on top of the money I pay at the general hospital and I have to get it at a normal Pharmacies not the one at the hospital. I tried them once, but they just look at me odd. Yes, I have check with a few pharmacies and all of them said I had to have a prescription.

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Alison - Ali for short

Thanks for the answers Dudley

Nnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooo not the in laws moving out

Ah well. At least I've got a drinking buddy in Mr Clarke

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Gareth Hoggan

Got a computer problem? Need help? PM or call me on a no fix no fee basis.
Adept Computer Solutions on 96439430

Dear All

If you are retiring abroad and you are State pensionable age, then you need to contact the DWP and ask for a E121 which will cover you until death. The UK will foot the bill because of your NI contribs in the UK.
You will need to make an application here for a Pink Medical card Catagory A ( Free Presriptions, although its not 6 months like the UK, you will need to go to the general every 2 months and yes you will pay 2 euros each time you visit for administration like the Cypriots have to. ) This Pink Medical Card will be issued to you for approx 3-4 years and then you must make another aplication. DO NOT PART WITH YOUR E121 which will come in 2 copies, 1 stating you and anither stating your wife/husband.
An E106 is for people hat have just left emloyment in the Uk and the Uk will issue a E106 if you have paid full contribs for 3 years prior to your move which will cover you for an 18 months wwindow until you find employment and start paying the equivilent of NI here which is called Social Insurance.

You will need the E121 or E106 for your immigration appt too, because otherwise they will want Private Medical Insurance in place.

Pleaase also be aware that if you change your residency to CYP and registrer for Tax here you can get a rebate of UK tax on your pensions and its a better rate of tax here.

Please PM me if you need further info,

Paphian 4761

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White & Georgiou
Expatriate Services

Website & 2011 Price List
http://www.paphospeople.com/white_georgiou.html

Best wishes for your move......

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Hi All. Thanks again for all the info. I am sure that I will be asking more questions as time goes by.

Martha Clarke

Our Pharmacist told us that some of the drugs dispensed at the General were poorer quality than those available through Pharmacists practices, hence the reason why prescription given by General hospital doctors have to be obtained there.

Alan

I bet every Pharmacist that its taking money from you will tell the same story

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REACH 1000`s of PAPHOS CUSTOMERS EVERY DAY FOR A FRACTION OF WHAT THE OTHERS CHARGE
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Whilst the optimist and the pessimist argued that the whisky glass was either half full
or half empty ? .
I drank it .....
The opportunist..

It's just like in the UK - rather than prescribe the fancy "named" drugs, doctors have for some time been prescribing the generic ones which are exactly the same. . . . . . It's like buying aspirin at £1 for 72 as opposed to Anadin for £1 for 2!

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Jean

Retirement - harder work than working - But much more fun

hi all

this is my first post

I hope that martha you do not mind

my husband and myself will be living in Peyia for just under 6 months for the winter months..due to ill health

we are both on LOTS of meds......that need to be taken daily.....

we have got our NHS card for health care when abroad...not sure of the number

will we need anything else in order to get the meds that we both will need?

will we be able to get any meds that we might run out of?

our gp has said that he will be able under NHS rules to give us 3 months of meds......but NOT the entire 6 months of meds that we will require...so unless we fly home for the repeat prescriptions....we are going to run short

which of course niether of us can do

we have never lived abroad before..and we are both a bit anxious as to what we need to do

cheers in advance

migmogs

Why don't you write a repeat prescription request in advance. Leave it with a friend in the UK then get him/her to fill it from the docs/chemist and post it out to you after the 3 months?
I know it's bending the rules but it's not as if you are living here permanently is it.
It might save you a lot of both hassle and expense in the end.

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Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want....

If you can get a prescription from the UK you may be able to get your meds from Chemist Direct (a UK website) that delivers to Cyprus. They can only dispense from a UK prescription.

There is a fixed price for postage & packing based on weight.

This page gives you the Delivery info: http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/delivery_information.php

I've used them quite a few times as I take antihistamine tablets every day (I take cetrizine 5mg). If I buy them from here, they cost me around 3euro for a box of 30 tablets (10mg) which I break in half so they last me 2 months.

A pack of cetrizine from Chemist Direct - again, 30 x 10mg tablets cost me 29p per packet. I buy half a dozen at a time and usually some other stuff so for me, it's worth paying the postage.

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Regards
Shell

thankyou for your great replies

cheers

migmogs