S1 form

We have ordered a copy of our S1's as per the advice in the S1 letter we received. They were very friendly on the phone.
We rang 0044 191 218 1999 and chose option 3, planning treatment, as this was the only option that sort of fitted. Have your UK NI number handy.
Due to heavy numbers requesting a copy S1, it will take 15 working days to receive it to your address in Spain.

"Going back to UK you will not need to show the S1 (after all, most people haven't seen it after they handed it in) but a quick call to the health centre at Newcastle will confirm you have cover."

If you've never been issued an S1 (or E121) then maybe not so in a case like this I'd definitely advise securing them.

We still have our originals. When we registered for healthcare we submitted high quality copies (with originals in the back pocket just in case) but the substitution was not noticed.

I was just about to ring Newcastle regarding the reference to producing an S1 form if I needed British healthcare in the letter pensioners have just received! This and the previous form were exchanged for our Spanish healthcare form when we became residents,so we cannot produce them! However, if the NHS is as lax about production of this as it was about the EHIC card, we havnt anything to worry about. My late husband had to use the NHS on numerous occasions over the years, both at doctors surgeries and hospital, and every time it was waved aside! The money lost when the NHS could not be bothered to complete some paperwork to recover it must be beyond belief.