Health
The Gibraltar healthcare scheme is based on a contributory system called the Group Practice Medical Scheme (GPMS), through which entitled persons and their dependents may access health care.
The rules of entitlement to health care are essentially governed by the Medical (Group Practice Scheme) Act, the Medical (Group Practice Scheme) Regulations, the Medical (Group Practice Scheme) (Contributions) Regulations, the UK / Gibraltar Reciprocal Agreement and EC Regulations 883/2004. Some of the rules are quite complex and it is extremely difficult to summarise accuracy.
The Group Practice Medical Scheme is a contributing scheme through which entitled persons and their dependents can access health care.
The classes of persons entitled to be registered are set out in section 4 of the Act, Regulation 4 of the Regulation and Schedule 1 to the Regulations Section 5 provides for the payment of contribution to the scheme (www.gibraltar.gov.gi) Laws of Gibraltar.
The scheme allows entitled persons and their dependants to access health care free of charge. Medicines are available at a cost of £2.50 per item on the prescription subject to a maximum charge of £7.50. Dental treatment is only available to children. Adults may be seen for emergency treatment only.
If you are working in Gibraltar you would have to prove that your social insurance payments are up to date. This can be done by either submitting a letter from the Contributions Unit, which is in College Lane, and this would confirm your payments. By presenting your latest tax code or payslip, we would be able to check this.
Persons residing in Spain and working in Gibraltar would need to apply for a S1, in order for dependents to receive routine treatment in their country of residence, thus being Spain.
You will also be required to be registered with the Civilian Registration Status Office if residing in Gibraltar.
An S1 is a certificate of Entitlement to sickness and maternity insurance benefits for persons residing in a country other than the competent country.
These forms are issued by the competent institution, in this case, The Tax Office, Contributions Unit, to cover ‘Frontier Workers’ and their families. The workers can choose where they receive treatment.
If you work in Gibraltar are entitled to medical treatment on both sides of the border.
You should first register in the country where you work and get an S1 form (former E106 form) from the Contribution Unit, Income Tax Department in Gibraltar. This form entitles your dependents to register for health insurance in the country where you live. Your dependents can receive treatment in the country where you work only when one of the following conditions are met:
- treatment becomes necessary on medical grounds during their stay in that country, taking into account the nature of the treatment and the expected length of the stay
- prior authorisation has been granted using form S2 (E112 form) issued by the health insurance authority in the country where you live.
Once you are in possession of all documents required, you can bring it all to our Registration Office which are situated on the 2nd floor of the ICC Building, Casemates Square. Upon arrival you should request the registration forms, and these can be completed with one of our officers.
You may contribute either through social insurance contributions if you are working, or by Voluntary Contributions. To make Voluntary Contributions, it would be subject to Government’s approval.
If you wish to register as a voluntary contributor you will need to obtain residency in Gibraltar first from civil status, and then submit your application to us which we would then process through management when they hold their next Board meeting.
The Gibraltar Health Authority objectives are:
- "To provide the highest possible level of health care to the people of Gibraltar and others within the resources available".
- "To improve and maintain the quality of care, the environment and the facilities within which care is provided for the people we serve".
- "To improve training, educational and other facilities for staff in order to assist them in their work of caring for people".
- "To ensure an effective and sensitive management for staff and patients so that people are treated with sympathy and courtesy".
*The above information has been taken from the Government website – www.gibraltar.gov.gi
