MEDICAL INSURANCE
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To qualify for any other NHS treatment, you must meet certain conditions: If your course of study is for six months or more (or
a course of any duration in Scotland) you will qualify for NHS treatment from the beginning of your stay on the same basis as
anyone who is ordinarily resident in the UK. Your spouse or children with you in the UK will also be entitled to NHS treatment.
To receive free hospital treatment in England and Wales, your family members must be in the UK as your dependants and
not, for example, as visitors. ‘Family’ in this situation means your husband or wife, and your children aged up to the age of 16
or up to
the age of 19 if they are in full-time education. If your course of study is for less than six months and you are studying in
Scotland, you will qualify for full NHS treatment from the beginning of your stay. If your course of study is for less than six
months and you are studying in England or Wales on a course which is substantially funded by the UK government, you will
receive full NHS hospital treatment from the beginning of your stay, even if your course is under six months long.
‘Substantially’ means at least 35% government funded. You will need to provide evidence of the funding in order to qualify for
free treatment. However, you might not be eligible for free GP treatment. If you are in one of the eligible categories described
above, you can register as a patient with a local Doctor (also referred to as General Practitioner (GP)). GPs are doctors who
are trained and experienced in diagnosing a wide range of health problems. The Doctor/GP will be based in a local office
(called a Surgery) or in a Health Centre.
Some institutions, mainly universities, have a Doctor’s Surgery or Health Centre on campus. You are also entitled to free
treatment in NHS hospitals. We strongly recommend that you register with a GP within the first couple of weeks of arriving
in the UK, even if you do not feel ill. This is to make it easier to see the Doctor when you need to, as GPs are often unable to
give appointments to people not registered at their Surgery, except in a real emergency. To register at the Doctor’s Surgery
or Health Centre, you will need:
NHS local services
<www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/localisation>
You can use this link to find your nearest:
Note: If you have to give up your studies temporarily, and you are refused free health treatment, contact your student adviser
for information about how you might be able to challenge this. If you are not in one of the eligible categories described above,
and your course is under six months long, you and your family are only entitled to limited free NHS treatment. You will have
free emergency hospital treatment, but only the treatment given in a NHS Accident and Emergency department is free of
charge. Once you are admitted on to a ward or given an outpatient appointment, charges will apply. GPs may agree to treat
you
for free, but this will usually be limited to urgent treatment that cannot be delayed until you return home. You will have to pay
for any other treatment as a private patient. It is therefore very important that you take out medical insurance for the duration
of your visit to the UK. Please note that private medical treatment is very expensive if you do not have private medical
insurance. If you are not entitled to NHS cover, also see the section below entitled. ‘Do I need medical insurance?’.
WHAT DOES THE NHS PROVIDE FREE OF CHARGE?
If you are entitled to NHS treatment, the following services will be free of charge:
You may need to pay for:
MEDICAL TREATMENT
The NHS provides medical treatment through three main routes:
1. GP's (Doctor’s) Surgery or Health Centre - This is your first point of contact for medical treatment. As detailed earlier in this
Guidance Note, UK residents register with a Health Centre or GP's Surgery. Most illnesses and other problems can be
treated by the GP, but if you need to see a specialist, the GP will refer you to an appropriate hospital department (see below).
As well as consultations with a Doctor, most GP's Surgeries and Health Centres provide a range of community health
services: for example vaccinations, women's health clinics, services for parents of young children, family planning ,
contraception and sexual health. GP Surgeries and Health Clinics are normally open during the daytime and early evening.
However, they normally have an answering-machine message about where you can get help when the Surgery or Health
Centre is closed. Your local
hospital may also have an NHS Walk-in Clinic.
NHS Direct - If you or your family are feeling ill, NHS Direct can be a helpful
source of advice and information. NHS Direct operates a 24-hour nurse
advice and health telephone information service for England and Wales,
providing confidential information on:
If your GP refers you to hospital for treatment, you will usually be given an appointment to see a consultant (specialist
doctor). Depending on the medical problem, you may be treated as an in-patient (where you are admitted to a ward and stay
there overnight or longer) or as an out-patient (where you visit the hospital for an appointment). If you think you need to see
a specialist, you should approach your GP first and ask her or him to refer you.
3. Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments - Some (but not all) hospitals have Accident and Emergency departments.
These departments are open 24 hours a day and deal with patients needing emergency treatment.
DEALING WITH MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
Emergency services: dial 999
If you need immediate medical assistance (for example, because of an accident), telephone 999. The call is free including
from mobile phones. An operator will ask you which emergency service you need (Fire, Police or Ambulance). For urgent
medical assistance ask for the ambulance service. Be ready to tell the emergency services what has happened and exactly
where you are, especially the street name. Once you are connected to the Emergency Medical Dispatcher, she or he or he
will ask you questions about the condition of the patient and may offer advice on what to do until the ambulance arrives. If the
person is badly injured and needs to go to hospital, an ambulance will be dispatched to take the person to a hospital Accident
and Emergency (A&E) department. If you need urgent treatment, but you are well enough to travel, you can also make your
own way by
bus or taxi to an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, or ask a friend to take you. Note: You should only use A&E
Departments for emergency treatment for serious illness or injury.
DO I NEED MEDICAL INSURANCE?
If you are not entitled to free NHS treatment, you should make sure you have adequate medical insurance to cover medical
costs if you fall ill, and also to cover the additional possible costs resulting from illness. These can be substantial, and include
Even if you are entitled to free NHS treatment whilst in the UK, you should consider taking out insurance which covers the
above additional costs. Moreover, even if you are covered by the NHS for medical treatment, you may find that there are long
waiting times for some services. An insurance policy which gives you access to private medical care could give you much
quicker access to the treatment you need. If you already have medical insurance in your home country, check whether you
can extend it to cover your stay in the UK, as well as looking at options available from UK insurers. Endsleigh Insurance, in
association with UKCOSA, have produced a special health insurance policy for international students and their spouses or
civil partners and children in the UK. This gives you a choice of two levels of cover, either relying on NHS treatment or (for an
extra charge) also giving access to private treatment. Details of the policy can be found on the Endsleigh website. There are
also policies for shorter stay students.
Please contact Endsleigh for further details.
HOW DO I REGISTER WITH A GENERAL PRACTITIONER?
When you arrive at your place of study you should register with a doctor as soon as possible. Do not wait until you are ill. If
your institution has its own health centre, you may be able to register there. Otherwise, you should register with any doctor
close to where you live. A list of local doctors will be available from the Post Office, or your local authority, or from <www.nhs.
uk>. To register, you will need to visit the doctor’s surgery or clinic during consulting hours, taking a letter from your institution
as proof that you are a student. You should ask to be added to the list of NHS patients. Most doctors’ surgeries have female
as well as male doctors, and if you prefer you can ask to be put on a woman doctor’s list. If you only want to be seen by a
woman
doctor, you may need to say so whenever you make an appointment. To avoid paying the full (private) cost of treatment
make sure the doctor knows you want treatment from the NHS. If the doctor accepts you as a patient you will be sent a
medical card through the post with your NHS number. However, being registered with a GP (doctor), and having an NHS
number, does not give you automatic entitlement to free hospital treatment. The hospital providing treatment is responsible
for establishing whether international students are entitled to hospital treatment without charge. If the doctor does not accept
you as a patient, try
elsewhere or contact the local Primary Care Trust (in England or Scotland), the Central Services Agency (in Northern Ireland)
or your Local Health Board (in Wales) whose address can be obtained from the post office or doctor or from <www.nhs.uk>.
Under the NHS, appointments with doctors are free. Ask whether or not you have to make an appointment to see the doctor,
and remember to arrive on time for any appointment you make. Normally a doctor will only agree to visit you at home in
emergencies, when whoever is sick is confined to bed and cannot get to the surgery.
CAN I GET FREE MEDICINE?
If a doctor recommends a medicine, they may write a prescription for you. The prescription authorises a pharmacist to give
you a particular medicine. You will be asked to pay a standard prescription charge for each item (£6.50 as at January 2006).
This cost usually rises by a small amount on 1 April each year. If you are receiving ongoing treatment and need two or more
prescription medicines each month, it may well be cheaper to buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate. In January 2006,
these cost £33.90 for four months, and £93.20 for 12-months. The certificate covers all prescription charges during that
period. Prescriptions and
other medicines can be obtained from the pharmacy counter at chemist’s shops. Some medicines are only available on
prescription. In other cases, the medicine prescribed by the doctor may be available to buy, without a prescription, from the
chemist for less than the standard prescription charge, so always check first with the pharmacist.
PREPARING FOR BRITISH WEATHER
The British weather is unpredictable, but generally the coldest daytime temperatures are in the period from November to
February and are between 2°C and 9°C. The climate can seem harsh, and wet or windy weather will make it seem even
colder. A good way of keeping warm is by layering your clothes – wearing T-shirts or shirts under a woollen jumper, with a
warm jacket or coat over the top, depending on how cold it is. You may also want to buy thermal underwear. A waterproof
coat, an umbrella and strong shoes are useful in the rain. Try to ensure that the rooms you live and work in are warm
enough, and that you have plenty of bedding at night. Not all buildings have double glazing or central heating, and dampness
can make you feel colder. On the other hand, be careful not to keep your room too hot, as gas and electricity can be
expensive - and it will feel even colder when you do go out. If your clothes do get wet, make sure you dry them out thoroughly
before you wear them again.
HEALTHY EATING
Eating the right food, and enough of it, is vital for keeping warm and healthy. If you are living in a catered hall of residence
you will probably be given a balanced diet, but you should still be careful to make sure that you eat enough fresh fruit and
vegetables. If you have special dietary requirements (for example, for religious or cultural reasons) make sure the catering
authorities know about them. If you are cooking for yourself, eating healthily can be more difficult, especially if preparing your
own meals is new to you. Most big towns have stores or areas where you can buy food from different parts of the world, so
you may be able to find food that is familiar. A healthy diet is one which includes elements from all the main food groups
(protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals). You should try to eat something from
each of the following groups every day:
Contact Details:
National Health Service (NHS)
www.nhs.uk
NHS Direct - Tel: 0845 46 47
a course of any duration in Scotland) you will qualify for NHS treatment from the beginning of your stay on the same basis as
anyone who is ordinarily resident in the UK. Your spouse or children with you in the UK will also be entitled to NHS treatment.
To receive free hospital treatment in England and Wales, your family members must be in the UK as your dependants and
not, for example, as visitors. ‘Family’ in this situation means your husband or wife, and your children aged up to the age of 16
or up to
the age of 19 if they are in full-time education. If your course of study is for less than six months and you are studying in
Scotland, you will qualify for full NHS treatment from the beginning of your stay. If your course of study is for less than six
months and you are studying in England or Wales on a course which is substantially funded by the UK government, you will
receive full NHS hospital treatment from the beginning of your stay, even if your course is under six months long.
‘Substantially’ means at least 35% government funded. You will need to provide evidence of the funding in order to qualify for
free treatment. However, you might not be eligible for free GP treatment. If you are in one of the eligible categories described
above, you can register as a patient with a local Doctor (also referred to as General Practitioner (GP)). GPs are doctors who
are trained and experienced in diagnosing a wide range of health problems. The Doctor/GP will be based in a local office
(called a Surgery) or in a Health Centre.
Some institutions, mainly universities, have a Doctor’s Surgery or Health Centre on campus. You are also entitled to free
treatment in NHS hospitals. We strongly recommend that you register with a GP within the first couple of weeks of arriving
in the UK, even if you do not feel ill. This is to make it easier to see the Doctor when you need to, as GPs are often unable to
give appointments to people not registered at their Surgery, except in a real emergency. To register at the Doctor’s Surgery
or Health Centre, you will need:
- your passport
- evidence that you are a student (for example, your enrolment letter or student card)
- proof of your UK address (for example, accommodation contract or tenancy agreement).
NHS local services
<www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/localisation>
You can use this link to find your nearest:
- Doctor’s surgery,
- Optician (for vision tests, glasses/spectacles, contact lenses etc)
- dentist and
- pharmacy (chemist’s).
Note: If you have to give up your studies temporarily, and you are refused free health treatment, contact your student adviser
for information about how you might be able to challenge this. If you are not in one of the eligible categories described above,
and your course is under six months long, you and your family are only entitled to limited free NHS treatment. You will have
free emergency hospital treatment, but only the treatment given in a NHS Accident and Emergency department is free of
charge. Once you are admitted on to a ward or given an outpatient appointment, charges will apply. GPs may agree to treat
you
for free, but this will usually be limited to urgent treatment that cannot be delayed until you return home. You will have to pay
for any other treatment as a private patient. It is therefore very important that you take out medical insurance for the duration
of your visit to the UK. Please note that private medical treatment is very expensive if you do not have private medical
insurance. If you are not entitled to NHS cover, also see the section below entitled. ‘Do I need medical insurance?’.
WHAT DOES THE NHS PROVIDE FREE OF CHARGE?
If you are entitled to NHS treatment, the following services will be free of charge:
- consulting a GP and most other GP services (e.g. visiting a clinic)
- treatment in a hospital (both emergency and non-emergency treatment)
You may need to pay for:
- medicines prescribed by your GP some GP services (eg vaccinations for travel, getting a sickness certificate) - ask
your GP for details of costs - dental treatment
- optical treatment
MEDICAL TREATMENT
The NHS provides medical treatment through three main routes:
1. GP's (Doctor’s) Surgery or Health Centre - This is your first point of contact for medical treatment. As detailed earlier in this
Guidance Note, UK residents register with a Health Centre or GP's Surgery. Most illnesses and other problems can be
treated by the GP, but if you need to see a specialist, the GP will refer you to an appropriate hospital department (see below).
As well as consultations with a Doctor, most GP's Surgeries and Health Centres provide a range of community health
services: for example vaccinations, women's health clinics, services for parents of young children, family planning ,
contraception and sexual health. GP Surgeries and Health Clinics are normally open during the daytime and early evening.
However, they normally have an answering-machine message about where you can get help when the Surgery or Health
Centre is closed. Your local
hospital may also have an NHS Walk-in Clinic.
NHS Direct - If you or your family are feeling ill, NHS Direct can be a helpful
source of advice and information. NHS Direct operates a 24-hour nurse
advice and health telephone information service for England and Wales,
providing confidential information on:
- what to do if you or your family are feeling ill;
- particular health conditions;
- local healthcare services, such as doctors, dentists or late night opening pharmacies (chemist’s);
- self-help and support organisations.
If your GP refers you to hospital for treatment, you will usually be given an appointment to see a consultant (specialist
doctor). Depending on the medical problem, you may be treated as an in-patient (where you are admitted to a ward and stay
there overnight or longer) or as an out-patient (where you visit the hospital for an appointment). If you think you need to see
a specialist, you should approach your GP first and ask her or him to refer you.
3. Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments - Some (but not all) hospitals have Accident and Emergency departments.
These departments are open 24 hours a day and deal with patients needing emergency treatment.
DEALING WITH MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
Emergency services: dial 999
If you need immediate medical assistance (for example, because of an accident), telephone 999. The call is free including
from mobile phones. An operator will ask you which emergency service you need (Fire, Police or Ambulance). For urgent
medical assistance ask for the ambulance service. Be ready to tell the emergency services what has happened and exactly
where you are, especially the street name. Once you are connected to the Emergency Medical Dispatcher, she or he or he
will ask you questions about the condition of the patient and may offer advice on what to do until the ambulance arrives. If the
person is badly injured and needs to go to hospital, an ambulance will be dispatched to take the person to a hospital Accident
and Emergency (A&E) department. If you need urgent treatment, but you are well enough to travel, you can also make your
own way by
bus or taxi to an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, or ask a friend to take you. Note: You should only use A&E
Departments for emergency treatment for serious illness or injury.
DO I NEED MEDICAL INSURANCE?
If you are not entitled to free NHS treatment, you should make sure you have adequate medical insurance to cover medical
costs if you fall ill, and also to cover the additional possible costs resulting from illness. These can be substantial, and include
- lost fees if you are unable to complete your course
- costs of returning home if a relative is ill
- costs of a relative visiting you in the UK if you fall ill
- cost of returning to your home country for treatment
- or in the worst possible situation, returning a body home for burial.
Even if you are entitled to free NHS treatment whilst in the UK, you should consider taking out insurance which covers the
above additional costs. Moreover, even if you are covered by the NHS for medical treatment, you may find that there are long
waiting times for some services. An insurance policy which gives you access to private medical care could give you much
quicker access to the treatment you need. If you already have medical insurance in your home country, check whether you
can extend it to cover your stay in the UK, as well as looking at options available from UK insurers. Endsleigh Insurance, in
association with UKCOSA, have produced a special health insurance policy for international students and their spouses or
civil partners and children in the UK. This gives you a choice of two levels of cover, either relying on NHS treatment or (for an
extra charge) also giving access to private treatment. Details of the policy can be found on the Endsleigh website. There are
also policies for shorter stay students.
Please contact Endsleigh for further details.
HOW DO I REGISTER WITH A GENERAL PRACTITIONER?
When you arrive at your place of study you should register with a doctor as soon as possible. Do not wait until you are ill. If
your institution has its own health centre, you may be able to register there. Otherwise, you should register with any doctor
close to where you live. A list of local doctors will be available from the Post Office, or your local authority, or from <www.nhs.
uk>. To register, you will need to visit the doctor’s surgery or clinic during consulting hours, taking a letter from your institution
as proof that you are a student. You should ask to be added to the list of NHS patients. Most doctors’ surgeries have female
as well as male doctors, and if you prefer you can ask to be put on a woman doctor’s list. If you only want to be seen by a
woman
doctor, you may need to say so whenever you make an appointment. To avoid paying the full (private) cost of treatment
make sure the doctor knows you want treatment from the NHS. If the doctor accepts you as a patient you will be sent a
medical card through the post with your NHS number. However, being registered with a GP (doctor), and having an NHS
number, does not give you automatic entitlement to free hospital treatment. The hospital providing treatment is responsible
for establishing whether international students are entitled to hospital treatment without charge. If the doctor does not accept
you as a patient, try
elsewhere or contact the local Primary Care Trust (in England or Scotland), the Central Services Agency (in Northern Ireland)
or your Local Health Board (in Wales) whose address can be obtained from the post office or doctor or from <www.nhs.uk>.
Under the NHS, appointments with doctors are free. Ask whether or not you have to make an appointment to see the doctor,
and remember to arrive on time for any appointment you make. Normally a doctor will only agree to visit you at home in
emergencies, when whoever is sick is confined to bed and cannot get to the surgery.
CAN I GET FREE MEDICINE?
If a doctor recommends a medicine, they may write a prescription for you. The prescription authorises a pharmacist to give
you a particular medicine. You will be asked to pay a standard prescription charge for each item (£6.50 as at January 2006).
This cost usually rises by a small amount on 1 April each year. If you are receiving ongoing treatment and need two or more
prescription medicines each month, it may well be cheaper to buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate. In January 2006,
these cost £33.90 for four months, and £93.20 for 12-months. The certificate covers all prescription charges during that
period. Prescriptions and
other medicines can be obtained from the pharmacy counter at chemist’s shops. Some medicines are only available on
prescription. In other cases, the medicine prescribed by the doctor may be available to buy, without a prescription, from the
chemist for less than the standard prescription charge, so always check first with the pharmacist.
PREPARING FOR BRITISH WEATHER
The British weather is unpredictable, but generally the coldest daytime temperatures are in the period from November to
February and are between 2°C and 9°C. The climate can seem harsh, and wet or windy weather will make it seem even
colder. A good way of keeping warm is by layering your clothes – wearing T-shirts or shirts under a woollen jumper, with a
warm jacket or coat over the top, depending on how cold it is. You may also want to buy thermal underwear. A waterproof
coat, an umbrella and strong shoes are useful in the rain. Try to ensure that the rooms you live and work in are warm
enough, and that you have plenty of bedding at night. Not all buildings have double glazing or central heating, and dampness
can make you feel colder. On the other hand, be careful not to keep your room too hot, as gas and electricity can be
expensive - and it will feel even colder when you do go out. If your clothes do get wet, make sure you dry them out thoroughly
before you wear them again.
HEALTHY EATING
Eating the right food, and enough of it, is vital for keeping warm and healthy. If you are living in a catered hall of residence
you will probably be given a balanced diet, but you should still be careful to make sure that you eat enough fresh fruit and
vegetables. If you have special dietary requirements (for example, for religious or cultural reasons) make sure the catering
authorities know about them. If you are cooking for yourself, eating healthily can be more difficult, especially if preparing your
own meals is new to you. Most big towns have stores or areas where you can buy food from different parts of the world, so
you may be able to find food that is familiar. A healthy diet is one which includes elements from all the main food groups
(protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals). You should try to eat something from
each of the following groups every day:
- bread, rice, pasta or cereals
- milk, cheese, yoghurt
- fresh fruit and vegetables
- meat, fish, eggs, lentils, nuts or beans
Contact Details:
National Health Service (NHS)
www.nhs.uk
NHS Direct - Tel: 0845 46 47
are a lot of changes to go through. For example, there
are differences in food, weather and customs to cope
with. In this type of situation, with all its stresses, you can
find yourself paying less attention than usual to your
health. In other words, it can be easy to concentrate on
your studies and forget about taking care of yourself.
Also, any health problems can be made worse by the
effects of adjusting to a different climate, unfamiliar food
and the emotional strains of being away from home. This
Guidance Note aims to give advice on looking after
yourself, as well as practical
information on how to obtain medical treatment. It also
explains students’ entitlement to free medical treatment
under the UK state health system.
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
The NHS (National Health Service) is the UK's state
health service which provides treatment for UK residents
through a wide range of health care services. Some
services are free, and some you will have to pay for.
AM I ENTITLED TO NHS TREATMENT?
The following NHS treatment is free for everyone:
are differences in food, weather and customs to cope
with. In this type of situation, with all its stresses, you can
find yourself paying less attention than usual to your
health. In other words, it can be easy to concentrate on
your studies and forget about taking care of yourself.
Also, any health problems can be made worse by the
effects of adjusting to a different climate, unfamiliar food
and the emotional strains of being away from home. This
Guidance Note aims to give advice on looking after
yourself, as well as practical
information on how to obtain medical treatment. It also
explains students’ entitlement to free medical treatment
under the UK state health system.
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
The NHS (National Health Service) is the UK's state
health service which provides treatment for UK residents
through a wide range of health care services. Some
services are free, and some you will have to pay for.
AM I ENTITLED TO NHS TREATMENT?
The following NHS treatment is free for everyone:
- some emergency treatment (but not follow-up
treatment) - family planning services
- treatment of certain communicable diseases
- compulsory psychiatric treatment