Healthcare in the UK is provided by the National Health Service (NHS), the government-funded health service. All visitors to the UK are entitled to some treatment from the NHS, although what is covered free of charge will vary depending on where you are from and the treatment required.
Registering with a Doctor
As soon as you arrive in the UK and find accommodation, it is very important to register with a doctor in the area where you live. In the UK, doctors are also called ‘GPs’ which stands for ‘General Practitioner’, so expect to hear both terms.
Doctor surgeries have catchment areas; therefore, the street where you live will usually determine your surgery. You can check where your nearest doctor’s surgery is using the
Find a NHS Doctor website. Once you have found a surgery, you should contact them and enquire about the registration process. When registering they will require you to show your identity documents and proof of your address. If you have difficulty in registering with a GP, you should get in touch with NHS Cambridgeshire’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service via 01223 725400 or
info@cambridgeshire.nhs.uk.
Once you have registered as a patient, you can book appointments to see your GP about any medical conditions, which are not an emergency. Home visits can be arranged, but only if you are too ill to visit the surgery. Your GP may refer you to a specialist for a consultation or treatment at a hospital, if necessary.
Registering with a Dentist
You can register with a dentist in the same way as you register with a doctor, by using the
Find a Dentist Website. Some dentists in the UK offer NHS care and others offer private care. It is recommended that you check whether the dentist offers NHS treatment and/or only private treatment. If you would prefer to register with a dentist as a private (non-NHS) patient then look online for a practice convenient for you and contact them directly to enquire about their services.
NHS dental care is not free (except to those who are
eligible for help with health costs) but the charges are subsidised by the NHS. Private treatment involves paying an initial consultation fee, after which a fee is payable for each subsequent course of treatment. Always check prices before you sign for treatment.
If you would prefer to register with a dentist as a private (non-NHS) patient then look online for a practice convenient for you and contact them directly to enquire.
Orthodontic Treatment
In most cases, your dentist will refer you to an orthodontist, although you may sometimes be able to get treatment directly from your dentist. NHS orthodontic treatment is free for people under the age of 18, who have a clear health need for treatment. Due to the high demand for treatment, there can be long waiting lists.
If you do not qualify free NHS treatment or you do not want to wait for treatment to start, you may choose to have private treatment. Private orthodontic treatment is widely available. The fees will depend on the complexity of the treatment required.
Emergency Medical Services
In an emergency and you should call 999 (the call is free from all providers) or go to your nearest Emergency Department.
The emergency service is free to everyone in the first instance, regardless of your status in the UK. However, following emergency treatment if you are admitted to hospital and you are liable to charging for NHS services, you will have to pay for any subsequent treatment.
The nearest Accident & Emergency is located at
Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ. The department is open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. For further information please visit
Cambridge University Hospital Website.
Long term Health Conditions
If you have a long-term health condition, bring documentary evidence from the doctor in your home country (in English) and provide this when you register with a doctor in the UK. You may wish to ask for an appointment to discuss your needs.
If you are receiving on-going medical treatment or taking medication, bring with you a Doctor’s certificate (in English) confirming the treatment and/or any medication you are receiving. If you need ongoing medication in the UK, the doctor will explain how to arrange prescription in the UK. Prior to travelling to the UK, it is advisable to check with your transport provider what medications that you are permitted to carry with you and what you can take through customs.
Opticians
Eye care is provided by high street opticians, of which there are many located throughout Cambridge. It is not necessary to register in advance and you can just book an appointment with an optician as needed. To purchase spectacles or contact lenses you will need a prescription following a sight test. The cost of frames, lenses and contact lenses varies. You can find local opticians here.
Only a limited number of people who meet certain criteria are eligible for free NHS eye tests. Otherwise, eye tests are a chargeable service which normally cost around £20. However, if you use a display screen on most days at work, or it is essential to your work within the University, or you use a computer sometimes for intense periods of work, the University is required to provide and pay for an eye test for you. Please contact the University’s
Occupational Health webpages for further information.
University of Cambridge Private Medical Insurance Scheme
The University of Cambridge provides access to a comprehensive Private Medical Insurance (PMI) scheme as part of our University employee benefits. PMI allows University employees to buy medical insurance for themselves, spouses/partners and immediate dependents. Further details are available on the University of Cambridge website here.
Wellbeing
To enable the University to deliver on its mission of contributing to society, its greatest asset-its staff-need to work in an environment which promotes physical, mental and social health. In order to achieve this, and to prevent work-associated ill health, the University has adopted a Wellbeing Strategy.
The strategy recognises that the University has a large workforce, which is geographically, culturally and linguistically diverse, and that employees’ values, personal development and work satisfaction all contribute to their overall sense of wellbeing.
Support services available to University staff:
NHS Fees
Access to the NHS is universal, but depending on your immigration status within the UK, you may be charged for accessing certain services. However, there are certain services that are free to everyone:
- Treatment given in an accident and emergency (A&E) department – this does not include any further treatment following an admission to hospital
- Treatment for certain infectious diseases (but for HIV/AIDS, only the first diagnosis and counselling that follows it are free)
- Compulsory psychiatric treatment
- Family planning services – this does not include termination of pregnancy or infertility treatments
Who Will Not be Charged for Accessing the NHS?
You will
not be charged for any NHS treatment if you are ‘
ordinarily resident’ in the UK, or if an exemption to charging applies. Ordinarily resident can be summarised as:
“A person will be “ordinarily resident…” in the UK when that residence is lawful, adopted, voluntary, and for settled purposes as part of the regular order of their life for the time being, whether of short or long duration.”
In practice, you are normally ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK if you are living and working in the UK and are: a British citizen, naturalised within the UK or settled within the UK (commonly referred to as holding Indefinite Leave to Remain).
EU Nationals
If you are visiting the UK from an EU country and you fall ill or have a medical emergency during your temporary stay in England, you can use a valid European Health Insurance Card issued by your home country to access healthcare.
EU nationals (as well as citizens of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) who were living in the UK before the end of 2020, will be able to continue using the NHS for their healthcare while resident here.
The
European Health Insurance Card gives EEA nationals the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the UK, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland to:
- Anyone insured for healthcare in another EEA member state or Switzerland and who, for medically necessary treatment, presents either a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from that member state or a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) for that card, or, for elective treatment, presents an S2 document for that treatment
- The spouse/civil partner and children under 18 of the above are also exempt when lawfully visiting the UK with them
- Those requiring treatment of pre-existing medical conditions and for routine maternity care, providing the reason for your visit is not specifically to give birth or receive treatment
The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare, a flight back home, or lost or stolen property.
Non-UK Nationals and the NHS Surcharge
Any non-UK national, subject to immigration control (which for EU Nationals is where they enter the UK for the very first time on or after 1 January 2021), is exempt from charge for accessing any NHS services if one of the following applies to them while their leave to enter/remain is still valid:
- they have paid the NHS surcharge when making their visa application; or
- they applied for leave to enter or remain in the UK before the NHS surcharge was implemented (6 April 2015)
Note: A child born in the UK to an exempt person is also exempt from charge provided they are under 3 months old.
Who will be charged for accessing the NHS?
Non-UK nationals who are visiting the UK and have not paid the NHS surcharge (commonly those entering on a visitor visa/sought entry at the UK border), including those who hold long-term multiple entry visas, will be charged for accessing NHS services (except the free services noted above).
British citizens/EEA/Swiss nationals who are visiting the UK may be charged for NHS services they receive at the point of accessing care. The final decision to charge will rest with the healthcare provider.
If your circumstances are as above, it is recommended that you are covered for healthcare through private medical insurance for the duration of your visit, even if you are a former UK resident. Should you need NHS treatment and you have not arranged insurance, you will be charged at 150% of the standard NHS rate.
What happens if I cannot pay?
Once the hospital has established that you must pay for treatment, you will usually be asked to pay the full cost in advance, unless emergency treatment is required immediately. All treatment will be given, regardless of the ability to be able to pay, except if the treatment is non-urgent and can wait until you have left the UK. In non-urgent cases, treatment will only be given once the full cost has been received.
Note: Failure to pay for accessing NHS services may affect your ability to apply for a UK visa in the future.
Prescription Fees
Some medicines for minor illnesses, such as simple painkillers and cough remedies, can be bought over the counter without a prescription at locations such as supermarkets and other stores, so you can treat yourself without needing to see a GP.
Other types of medicine, such as eye-drops or emergency contraception, are available without a prescription but need a pharmacist's supervision, so are only available to buy from behind the pharmacy counter. You will find a pharmacy counter in many supermarkets, but also in dedicated pharmacies or healthcare stores such as; Lloyds, Boots and Superdrug.
Prescription-only medicines, such as antibiotics, must be prescribed by a qualified health professional. Even if you are entitled to free health treatment, you may have to pay for your prescription medicines if you live in England. A prescription charge in England is currently £9.15 for one item (as of January 2021). If you are exempt you will not have to pay. Prescriptions are usually collected from a pharmacy. The
NHS choice website has further information on prescriptions and also provides a list of the circumstances in which you would be exempt from paying these charges.
