Trained NHS professionals can connect you with a nurse, emergency dentist or GP and can arrange local face-to-face appointments as needed. They can also send an ambulance depending on the nature of the medical concern. Pharmacists can also help decide if you need to see a medical professional. They can advise on minor ailments, including colds, aches and pains, and make sure you are taking the right medication.
If you feel you need to see a GP, or other healthcare professional, call your local medical clinic to book an appointment. Some practices may offer the ability to book online in advance, or order repeat prescriptions. There may also be the option to attend an out-of-hours appointment at your local clinic, or another clinic, depending on the clinic and what it offers.
Of course I am not privy to your background and there may be reasons why you would need to take out additional healthcare cover. If you have medical reasons that require additional personal health insurance then of course. Do your research. For the average Joe, you will be fine with the NHS as this is the equivalent to your Medicare, or whatever it is called in your country. If you would like to use your travel insurance to make a claim for health care while in the UK -- then, great.
Go for it. Of course, if you need specialist or other treatment then by all means, use your travel insurance. Just like back home, basic medications like cough and cold remedies can be bought from the supermarket. Other medications will need the supervision of your pharmacist -- emergency contraception, for instance.
If you need a prescription-only medication, you will need a script from a qualified health professional. This may be a GP, hospital doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, optometrist, physiotherapist or podiatrist. Some pharmacists can sell medication over the counter in an emergency -- if asthma medication has run out, for example -- but only if the patient has already registered with a GP.
Contraception is free under the NHS and is available from contraception clinics, some GP clinics, youth services, and sexual health or GUM genitourinary medicine clinics. Have a chat to your GP for more information. Maternal health care is available under the NHS… however, in order to be eligible for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa, you cannot have children who live with you, or children you are financially responsible for. Advice and guidance for healthcare practitioners on the health needs of migrant patients.
Many migrants will come from countries with very different health care systems to the UK. This guide can help to:. There is more information about the entitlements of particular groups visiting or moving to England on the NHS website. Further information is also available about health services for overseas visitors in Wales. Entitlements to NHS services for migrants in England. This animation was produced with the support of Doctors of the World UK.
Visit the immunisations page of the migrant health guide, which includes an animated video about vaccinations for migrants. See the GP services section below to learn more about GP registration for migrants. There are no changes to the healthcare entitlements of short-term visitors who are covered by bilateral healthcare agreements between the UK and countries outside the EU, including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Citizens of the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland who move to the UK from 1 January for more than 6 months will pay the immigration health surcharge as part of any visa application.
GP and nurse consultations in primary care, treatment provided by a GP and other primary care services are free of charge to all whether registering with a GP as an NHS patient , or accessing NHS services as a temporary patient. A temporary patient is someone who is in the area for more than 24 hours and less than 3 months. This means that you must be living lawfully in the UK on a properly settled basis to be entitled to free healthcare.
People who are not ordinarily resident in the UK may be required to pay for their care when they are in England. However, some services and some individuals are exempt from payment. These services are:. People whose application for asylum has been rejected may still be exempt from charge if they are supported:.
People receiving compulsory treatment under a court order, or who are liable to be detained in an NHS hospital or deprived of their liberty for example, under the Mental Health Act or the Mental Capacity Act are exempt from charge for all treatment provided, in accordance with the court order, or for the duration of their detention.
There may also be exceptional humanitarian reasons where the secretary of state can determine that a person is exempt from charges for relevant services.
This exemption also applies to their child or companion who is authorised to travel with them but is limited to treatment that cannot wait until their return home. People who are covered by reciprocal healthcare agreements, who hold an EHIC or who have paid the immigration health surcharge may also be exempt from payment for certain services. For further exemptions and information, see the NHS website on accessing services if you are visiting from abroad and government guidance on overseas visitors hospital charging regulations.
Practitioners in Scotland can refer to the National Health Service charges to overseas visitors Scotland regulations An application to join a practice can only be refused if the practice has reasonable grounds for doing so.
A practice cannot refuse an application on the grounds of medical condition or any protected characteristics :. The practice will ask the patient to complete a GMS1 form as part of their application to register.
The practice will ask people who are not ordinarily resident in the UK to complete supplementary questions. If applicable these questions also ask if the patient considers themselves to be exempt from charge for NHS secondary care services, should these be needed.
GP practices are not required to ask for proof of identity, address or immigration status from patients wishing to register. NHS guidance on how to register with a GP surgery clearly outlines that a practice cannot refuse a patient because they do not have proof of address or immigration status. NHS England and NHS Improvement in partnership with a number of organisations have developed and distributed physical and digital GP access cards , accompanied by posters and social media campaign resources that support access to GP registration.
Voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations can get physical copies of the access card from their local Healthwatch to share with the communities they work with, or download a digital copy of the access card and associated resources from the FutureNHS platform.
You may need to request access to access these resources. Where a patient applies to register with a GP practice and is turned down, the GP must still provide any immediately necessary treatment that is requested by the applicant, free of charge, for up to 14 days this can vary according to circumstances.
If a practice refuses to register a patient, they must notify the applicant of the refusal and the reason for it, in writing within 14 days of the decision. If a person goes to a GP for treatment while visiting the UK and is treated as a private patient, any prescription would also be private and would have to be paid for privately. Since 6 April , non-EEA nationals have had to pay the immigration health surcharge when applying for a visa to stay in the UK for over 6 months, unless they are exempt from paying the surcharge.
From 1 January , the immigration health surcharge will also need to be paid by EEA and Swiss nationals coming to the UK for stays of more than 6 months. People who have paid the surcharge or who are exempt from having to pay it or have had the requirement waived can use the NHS in a similar same way to an ordinarily resident person while their visa remains valid.
They will still need to pay for certain NHS services , including prescriptions, dental treatment and assisted conception services. The same amount must be paid for any dependants.
Some people are exempt from paying the surcharge , including people who:. People who have a visitor visa and those with a visa for under 6 months need to pay for any healthcare at the point of use unless they are exempt. See the Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application page for a full list of exemptions and further information.
Hospital treatment is free of charge for people who are ordinarily resident in the UK. To be considered ordinarily resident, you must be living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being. Since 6 April , non-EEA nationals who are subject to immigration control must have the immigration status of indefinite leave to remain at the time of treatment and be properly settled, to be considered ordinarily resident. If you are a family member of an EEA national who is resident in the UK, you may not be subject to immigration control even if you are from outside the EEA.
There is more information about applying to join family living permanently in the UK, at Family visas: apply, extend or switch. All other patients are charged for NHS treatment, except for treatment that is free to all.
England This advice applies to England: England home Advice can vary depending on where you live. Some NHS treatment is free and available to anyone who needs it. This includes: treatment in a hospital Accident and Emergency department seeing a GP - as an NHS or temporary patient family planning services treatment for some infectious diseases compulsory psychiatric treatment Whether you can get other free NHS services depends on the length and purpose of your residence in the UK, not your nationality.
Accessing treatment If you're entitled to free treatment, you can get it immediately. Paying for hospital treatment If you have to pay, you'll usually have to pay before you have the treatment.
You won't have to pay before if you need urgent treatment but you might still have to pay after. Contact the Health Authority If you're entitled to free hospital treatment, but have been told that you'll be charged, you should contact the Health Authority. Did this advice help? Yes No. Why wasn't this advice helpful? It isn't relevant to my situation. It doesn't have enough detail. I can't work out what I should do next. I don't understand. You've reached the character limit.
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