Hello - Em (Palindromic RA) anyone live in ITALY?

Em13

Hello everyone
I've had palindromic RA for 18 months now. Quinoric keeps the bad flare ups at bay so I'm very lucky. I am beginning to notice the residual aches and pains more and my bones crack like twigs on a bonfire but I'm generally OK.

I've been offered a job in Italy, I worked there ten years ago but didn't have this 'chronic' condition. Does anyone on here live in Italy or anywhere Europe? I just wondered if you can access RA consultants and have annual checks (aren't we lucky to have the NHS) or do people come back to the UK and have an annual MOT? I know Brexit makes things extremely difficult to predict but Italy has announced it's support of UK workers so my only reservation is health... can I live in Italy and receive treatment for RA?

Any advice gratefully received.
Em x

[Deleted User]

Hi Em welcome to the forum,how wonderful a job in Italy you must be so excited,I can't answer your question but there may be some one on the forums who can,everyone is friendly and understanding and will try and help in any way to make you feel part of the forum the most popular forums are Living with Arthritis and Chit Chat
All the best Christine

stickywicket

Hello and welcome from me too. This is an exceptionally obscure area right now. The NHS site does give advice here (for advice for Brits actually living in Italy as opposed to visiting, you have to scroll down). http://tinyurl.com/y2xr5p6g . But it does warn that all bets are off after Brexit (29th March if all goes to plan) as no-one will know how things might be affected.

The NHS also gives advice about accessing NHS if you are a UK national living abroad and it doesn't make comforting reading. http://tinyurl.com/y6hazg86 . I'm sure there are hospitals willing to waive the rules but, personally, I'd check this out with my rheumatologist. Getting caught could be very expensive.

We had some very anxious years when our son first went to live in USA and couldn't, at the time, afford health insurance. He blithely believed that, if a real problem arose, he could come back here. But, even then, I often found myself queuing at a hospital reception desk behind someone who was being asked where, in UK, they lived and for how long. I've had it myself on forms.

Em13

Thanks Christine and Stickywicket for the support and links.

I guess the Brexit debacle will all be decided soon enough, just to add to my decision making process. Thanks again for the info, I'll start doing some serious digging x