Since posting the above another member of the forum has discovered this on The Department Of Health website under ‘Health Advice For Travellers’. It states that, under certain circumstances the European Health Insurance Card can be used if you work abroad for up to a year. You have to maintain the UK NHI contributions of course.

There’s also more information about claiming on this when in Switzerland here.

As you have to pay any bills yourself and then reclaim the money you would obviously have to have sufficient funds available to meet any likely bills.

I don’t understand the ‘excess charge’ or ‘patients contribution’ and it doesn’t say how much this is. Under a normal Swiss police you have to pay an annual excess (deductable) of CHF 300 (minimum) so presumably its something similar but as it has to be paid for every 30 day period of treatment it would be interesting to know how much it is.