GHIC

Best contact INSS where you registered your S1 to see where the chain of communication has broken down.

You don't need to have a GHIC card for UK visits as you take the S1 paperwork with you and then if you need medical help you use the S1 paperwork in place of the GHIC. You will get full NHS services. 

They may want you to register your S1 with your medical center where you are visiting in the UK. 

Steve 

Thank you Steve,

What if I need to travel throughout Europe.

I'm not sure to be honest, I'd be interested in the answer too.....

Steve 

The GHIC works exactly as the EHIC did before Brexit so yes, you would need it if visiting another EU country.

People not entitled to a GHIC are those who move to an EU country but without qualifying for an S1, pre retirement Brits coming over on NLV's and with private health provision for instance. They are not entitled to care from the NHS if they visit UK either.

Some may recall that in the negotiations during the transition period it emerged that the EHIC scheme would be a casualty, and at one point even the continuation of the S1 was in question, but there was an abrupt 'u' turn probably when the UK realised that without the protection of an EHIC virtual anybody wishing to travel to the EU would need to first secure comprehensive travel insurance which for huge numbers with preexisting medical conditions could well have proven either impossible or impossibly expensive.

Hi boot,

If you have residency under the Withdrawal Agreement, you may be eligible for a GHIC from the UK.  This link suggests that, as an S1 holder,  you can apply online:

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/#:~:text=Who%20can%20apply%20for%20a,form%20issued%20by%20the%20UK

but if you're having difficulty, I'd suggest you contact the Overseas Healthcare Team:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/contact-us/overseas-healthcare-services-contact-us

Kind regards, 

Kim

Not all Brits with a SIP card have an S1!   I don't as I have had a SIP card since 2005 when the S1 was taken from us back then.  When/if I visit the UK I have a GHIC card to use for emergency treatment.