Possible move to England

I dont know what the healthcare system is like in Germany, so I cant offer any comparison, but in the UK, we have the National Health Service which provides free healthcare for every resident of the UK.  I have heard complaints from others about long wait times for appointments, but have not experienced this personally. My experience with the NHS is that the care is not as personalized and "warm and fuzzy" as it is in America, but this has never troubled me too much.  I have received good care on the NHS and certainly would not view it as a negative aspect of moving to England.  Don't forget that private health care is also available if you are willing to pay for it.

Re: cost of living, this would depend entirely on where in England you are considering moving.  London is very expensive, but other areas can be very affordable (and very nice!).

Thanks so much!  I found out that the company my husband would work for is in Stanford...I'll have to get to a map to check out exactly where that is located.

Hmm.. There is a village called Stanford-in-the-Vale which is in Oxfordshire, or a place called Stamford in  Linconshire. The cost of living would be very different, so perhaps you can clarify which place it will be and people can offer more advice.

Well I was wrong...I guess the name of the city is Stanton which I guess is near Oxford? I've been trying to find it on Google maps but I can't figure out how far it is from , say London. My husband seems to think it isn't far from London...  When I google it, it seems like a lot of open space, grassy meadows...hmmmm:P

I'm not familiar with the town/village, but dont be surprised by grassy meadows in Oxforshire - its very rural in areas.  To get an idea of cost of living in Oxford, try this site.

Oxford is about 60 miles West of London, which would take you probably 1.5 hours to drive or about an hour on the train (into Paddington station).

Hello all, welcome to new members

For those interested, we have a forum dedicated to Oxford -> just follow this link.

Hope this will be useful.

Have a nice day further
Arlette

The healthcare in the UK is not very good if you are used to the one in Germany, I have been living here for six years and I am German, but it has always been a problem for me. One example: In Germany women go to the gynecologist regularly and they have regular checks. In the six years I have been here in England I have maybe had two checks and because I asked for them. It all depends what you are used to, the dentists are not very good either.

donnellylv wrote:

Hello!

I am new here and hope that someone can provide a few answers for me.  We are Americans living in Germany for the past ten years.  My husband is considering a recent job offer in England and I am undecided as to whether I should go along with him or just go back home to the US.

I have a 15 year old son who has ties here and family in the US.  He isn't all that happy about making a move to England.

I'm just trying to understand how stressful this might be to my son and therefore make decisions that way.  Also, cost of living, and healthcare is a major concern for me.  I have heard that healthcare isn't very good there and that scares the heck out of me.

If anyone could address any of this or point me in the right direction I would REALLY appreciate it.

Thanks!

Thanks!  Does it matter if you have private health insurance as well as the regular national health insurance?
Also, as far as dentists go, does that also mean that orthodondists aren't very good either.  My son needs braces and if I have braces put on here in Germany can they follow up in England?  hmmmm......

Dental care is not 100% covered on the NHS. There are much cheaper fees at an NHS dentist vs a private dentist, but unless a family is on income support, everyone has to pay for dental care.

Thanks!

As far as your son's happiness, each child is different. A school psychologist told us that with each international move, it gets either easier or harder for each child, depending on the child.

Private doctors covered by private insurance have taken care of our needs so far. Unless you have a major emergency or need specialized treatment, you wont need the NHS system. There are American-trained dentists and orthodontists around, but not sure about Oxford.

(Moderated: No free advertising with first post, Please)

Good luck!
Laura
happyhomemakeruk.blogspot

donnellylv wrote:

Thanks!  Does it matter if you have private health insurance as well as the regular national health insurance?
Also, as far as dentists go, does that also mean that orthodondists aren't very good either.  My son needs braces and if I have braces put on here in Germany can they follow up in England?  hmmmm......

Yes it does. If you are private here, you are probably ok.
It is only the usual Tom, Dick and Harry that get the bad treatment.
Dentists: I have a bridge made in Germany and all dentists here in England admire it.
It all depends where you are going to live and if you are private, I think. If you live in the South of England and you are private, then there is no problem at all. But if you live in the North and
the problem here is the NHS. I am a pensioner and I am with the NHS, so that is that. The NHS doctors are not bad doctors, but the NHS here has no money.
I would not worry too much about all these things in your case then. Greetings Evie

The blog deleted my last tip for censorship -  don't work for but would recommend looking at real estate sites such as primelocation.com to see what is for rent in your area and get a feel for quality and prices.

Good morning!

I'm Marius, British, planning to move back to Britain from Portugal.  First, there are grumbles and horror stories about the health service, but it's certainly better than in Portugal, which is where I am now.  There's lots of general info on www.adviceguide.org.uk, as recommended by the Citizens Advice Bureau.  Where to live?  The area is decided by your husband's work, but www.bbc.co.uk can provide national news, local news, and links to local newspapers, so you can get an idea of what any area is really like.  For instance, I want to live in the vicinity of London.  Croydon looked like a good bet until I read about schoolchildren fighting there, plus hints that there's a traditionally rough side to the place.  I'm now looking at Reading, 20 minutes by rail from London, much cheaper rentwise and - no bad news yet.  Anyway, I've more or less shot my bolt, so I'll wish you good luck and hope this helps.

Marius.

Hi again,

Well, it looks like the company my husband will be working for is in Swindon so I would like to know about housing around Oxford or Oxfordshire if there is a difference.  I've gone to a few real estate places to look and things look nice but have heard conflictlng stories about which areas are nice or loud or whatever.

If anyone has any experience with Oxford or surrounding area, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks!

Good afternoon. Oxford - described in 'Lawence of Arabia' as 'a fat country' - well, it is when compared to the Arabian desert. University, car works, so the town's a mixture.  No doubt you can find a good suburb or village there, and meet people to suit you and your son.

Marius.