Access to healthcare - Living in the UK - British Council

Healthcare



		What is the NHS?


		Access to healthcare


		NHS Direct


		Department of Health

	Access to healthcare

Find out whether you or your family are entitled to free medical treatment in the UK and the EU, and how you can find the information and services that you need.

		Am I entitled to free treatment under the National Health Service or do I need medical insurance?

If you are just visiting the UK you either need to have medical insurance or, if you are from the European Economic Area, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Even if you are a UK national, but have not lived in the UK for several years, if you are only visiting you will need some form of medical insurance.

If you live lawfully in the UK and you have chosen to live and settle in the UK for the time being (i.e. more than 6 months) you will normally be considered to be ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK and have the same rights to free healthcare as a UK citizen. This includes free hospital treatment and treatment by a GP, but you will still have to pay other costs, such as prescription charges unless you are exempt from these charges. Since 1 April 2007 prescription charges have been abolished in Wales, so if you live in Wales you will not have to pay for these.

Even if you are not considered 'ordinarily resident in the UK', you should still be entitled to free emergency treatment given at a GP practice, an Accident and Emergency department or a walk in centre providing similar services to an Accident and Emergency department. Subsequent treatment as an in-patient or outpatient will not be free. Treatment for certain communicable diseases is also exempt from charges (excluding HIV/AIDS where only the first diagnosis and counselling is free).

You can find out more about NHS charges and help with NHS costs on the Directgov website and for more information for overseas visitors, go to the Department of Health website.

		Are my family entitled to free treatment under the National Health Service?

	If your family are only visiting you then they are not entitled to free treatment and must have medical insurance (either private or via the European Health Insurance Card). However, if they have come to live with you permanently, they are considered ‘ordinarily resident’ and therefore entitled to free NHS treatment.

		How do I get a European Health Insurance Card?

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which has recently replaced the E111 form, entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you’re in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland. If you are ordinarily resident in the UK you can apply for a UK issued EHIC card, but there are some restrictions to cover, depending on your nationality. For more information and to register online for an EHIC card, visit the Department of Health EHIC website.

		How do I register with a General Practitioner (GP)?

You can find your nearest GP at the NHS websites for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. To register you will need to undergo a brief medical check and it may be helpful to have details of your medical history with you. You will be given an NHS number, which will then be used to keep track of your medical history and if you decide to change your GP you should give them details of your previous GP, along with your NHS number.

		Who should I contact in case of a medical emergency?

In case of a medical emergency you should call 999 or 112 (the standard emergency number in Europe) and ask for the ambulance service.

If you are uncertain whether it is an emergency situation or not, you can call NHS-Direct for advice on 0845 4647.

		Where is my nearest hospital, doctor, dentist, optician or pharmacy?

	You can find this on the NHS websites for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

		Where can I get information on health issues?

The Directgov health and well-being website has information and links to various sites offering advice on health-related subjects, and NHS-direct has information on various health issues in several different languages, including Arabic, Bengali, French, Gujarati, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu.

If you need to go to hospital for treatment in England you have the right to choose which hospital you go to. The Healthcare Commission publishes information about the performance of healthcare organisations in England, including both NHS and private organisations. You can visit their website to find out how hospitals in your area have performed on issues such as waiting lists, cleanliness and standard of care. You could also look at the Dr Foster website, which has a very user friendly database of healthcare services.

For similar services in the other countries of the UK, you can visit the websites for the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland, and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

		What about private medical care?

	There are also private healthcare providers in the UK, and many NHS practitioners also perform services for private patients. These services are more expensive than treatment on the NHS and are often paid for through private medical insurance schemes. In some cases this allows patients to obtain treatment earlier than they would have been able to on the NHS.