Upvote:2
You can have full access to the NHS without paying if you are considered "Ordinarily resident" in the UK - basically this means living in the UK and considering it your country of residence for a period of time.
The full definition of ordinarily resident for the purposes of accessing NHS services ... is summarized as follows:
“A person will be “ordinarily resident…” in the UK when that residence is lawful, adopted, voluntary, and for settled purposes as part of the regular order of their life for the time being, whether of short or long duration.”
In practice, you are normally ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK if you are living and working in the UK and are:
A British citizen
Naturalised within the UK
Settled within the UK (commonly referred to as holding Indefinite Leave to Remain)
British citizens/EEA/Swiss nationals who are visiting the UK may be charged for NHS services they receive at the point of accessing care. The final decision to charge will rest with the healthcare provider.
In practice, emergency services are always available to you at no cost, while in theory you may have to prove ordinary residency for GP appointments and secondary care, but in practice this happens rarely if you can register with a GP by residing in their catchment area with a fixed address.
Source: my wife is a GP in the NHS.