MEDICAL

It should be noted that there are no UK Service medical facilities in Lisbon. Medical care is delivered by local private providers, covered by a MoD funded private health insurance scheme.

MEDICAL PRE-JOINING CONSIDERATIONS

Married personnel, prior to departure, will need to liaise with their Unit HR and Relocation Services with regard to correct Medical and Dental preparation. Failure to complete this may result in delay in the booking of flights.

Medical oversight of the UK Service population in Lisbon is exercised by the British Forces Clinic Southern Europe (BFC (SE)) in Naples. UK military personnel and dependants with any long-term condition(s) such as but not solely confined to: asthma, diabetes, severe allergies, anxiety, depression, epiliepsy and AD (H) D and / or are taking any form of long-term medication, are advised against aposting to Portugal. In any such case, advice must be sought from BFC (SE) prior to joining to assess viability of appropriate / adequate medical care available under the current UK medical provision arrangements. UK military personnel and dependants who wear glasses / contact lenses, should update sight tests and lenses prior to arrival.

3rd Line: Case by case basis (Por / UK)

DENTAL

Limited dental care, approved by the Defence Dental Service (DDS) Wegberg, is provided by local private dental practitioners. All Military personnel and dependents are most strongly urged to ensure all / any major dental requirements are treated and completed before joining JC Lisbon. Treatment facilities here are very limited and any specialist care, such as dentures, orthodontics, periodontal and oral surgery, is extremely difficult to source locally.

Only emergency dental treatment needs will be met from public funds during the first 3 months and last 3 months of an assignment: thus routine treatments of any sort will not be met from public funds in the first / last 3 months and furthermore, all personnel should note that no orthodontic treatment will be funded in the first / last 6 months of an assignment.

Any approved routine dental treatment for dependants whilst in Lisbon, will attract charges reflective of normal NHS fees. Similarly, NHS exemptions for children and pregnant women also apply. Non-routine dental treatment will require prior approval from Director Primary Dental Services (DPDS).

Dental treatment in excess of routine rulings will also require DPDS authorisation prior to commencement of work, unless this is self funded. In addition to not being available at all to military personnel and dependants during the first / last 6 months of an assignment, orthodontic treatment will only ever be funded within strict NHS criteria and, in any case, is severely limited in Portugal.

Any personnel and / or dependants undergoing orthodontic / any other major dental treatamenr prior to / on joining, must contact the UKJSU as soon as possible on receipt of this information, so that specialist advice can then be sought from DDS.