If you’re new to the UK, you’ll want to make sure you know how to get any medical treatment you need.
Don’t worry – it’s not too complicated. We’ll take you through exactly what you need to do to access the NHS when you’ve just moved here.
What is the NHS?
The National Health Service, or NHS, is the UK’s publicly funded healthcare system.
It’s a vast network of local general practitioner (GP) surgeries, hospitals, dentists, opticians and more.
Is healthcare free in the UK?
The NHS provides treatment to people in the UK based on their needs, not on their ability to pay – but that doesn’t mean all services are free for everyone.
Firstly, there are two types of NHS service that are free and available to anyone, no matter their residency and immigration status:
- GP services – You can visit a GP surgery, as a resident or as a short-term visitor.
- Accident and emergency services – Ambulances and treatment in hospital emergency departments are also free for anyone that needs urgent help.
For everything else, you can still be treated on the NHS, but you’ll be asked to pay unless you meet certain criteria.
We’ll look at that next.
You need to be living legally in the UK to get free NHS hospital treatment
For anything other than GP or emergency care, you have to be ‘ordinarily resident’ to get free NHS treatment.
Ordinarily resident means you’re legally living in the UK and have one of the following:
- Indefinite leave to remain
- British or Irish citizenship (including dual nationality)
- ‘Settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status from the EU Settlement Scheme – this might apply to you if you came to live in the UK from a European Economic Area (EEA) country before 2021
- A health and care worker visa
- a work, student or family visa
If you hold a work, student or family visa, you paid for your access to NHS services through the healthcare surcharge that was applied to your visa. So while it’s not technically ‘free’, you are absolutely entitled to use it.
You might need to prove you’ve paid the surcharge, so make sure you have an eVisa share code when you go to hospital.
What about the EHIC?
You can also use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access NHS healthcare if you have one. You can get an EHIC if you’re from one of the 27 EU countries.
Your EHIC lets you access the NHS under the same terms as UK residents. In most cases that means for free. It’s useful if you’re a short-term visitor who isn’t ordinarily resident in the UK.
How do I register with a GP?
GPs are your gateway to almost all other NHS services. You need to register with a local GP when you arrive – get it done during your first week living in the UK.
All you need to do is visit a local GP surgery of your choice and tell them you want to register as a patient. They’ll give you a form to fill in.
You might not be able to register at your first choice of GP if they’re not taking new patients. If that’s the case, you can use the NHS GP finder services for:
Once you’re registered, you can make an appointment to visit your GP for any health concerns. They’ll either offer you treatment, or refer you for other services and specialist treatment in hospitals.
Help! What do I do in an emergency?
Stay calm – help is at hand.
There are two phone numbers you need to remember:
- 111 – A call handler will assess your symptoms and direct you to the healthcare services you need. They might tell you to go to a hospital A&E department or call 999. Or they might say it’s ok to wait and see your GP.
- 999 – This is the number to get an emergency ambulance sent out.
You should only call 999 for life-threatening emergencies. Things like a road traffic accident, or someone having a heart attack. If you’re not sure, call 111 instead and they will either tell you to call 999, or direct you to other health services.
You can also go straight to a hospital accident and emergency service (A&E) department for life-threatening and serious illnesses or injuries.
You often have to wait a long time to be seen in A&E departments as the most urgent cases are seen first. It’s best to call 111 before you go if you can as they might be able to direct you to a different service.
NHS services that you need to pay for
Although most NHS services are free if you meet the immigration criteria, there are a few services you’ll have to pay for.
Dentists
Most of us have to pay to see an NHS dentist for routine check-ups and to have treatment. Treatments are priced in bands, which are considerably cheaper than private dental care.
Children, people on certain benefits and women who are pregnant or who recently gave birth can get NHS dental care for free as long as they’re registered with an NHS dentist.
There is a shortage of NHS dentists in the UK. This means you might not be able to register with one right away and might need to join a waiting list.
A lot of people in the UK who are eligible for NHS treatment instead pay for private dental care, for this reason.
Opticians
The NHS recommends that everyone gets their eyes tested every two years and eye tests aren't usually free. You can visit any high street optician for an eye test and to buy glasses or contact lenses.
If the optician finds you need treatment for an eye problem, they can refer you to an NHS specialist and that treatment is likely to be free, if you’re eligible.
Children, people over 60, those on certain benefits and a few other groups are eligible for free NHS eye tests and basic glasses if they need them.
Prescriptions
Your GP or a hospital can give you a prescription for medication and you collect it from a pharmacy.
In England you have to pay a prescription fee of £9.90. Prescriptions are free in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Private healthcare in the UK
The NHS is a comprehensive healthcare service in the UK, but you can also choose to have private treatment if you prefer.
Some people choose to pay and go private because there is a long wait for the treatment they need on the NHS.
If you’ve taken out private medical insurance (PMI) or you have healthcare provided by your employer, you’ll have access to treatment in private hospitals. Otherwise you can just contact them directly and pay each time you use them.
NHS checklist when you’re new to the UK
Here’s a quick summary of what you need to do when you arrive in the UK to get the treatment you need:
- Register with a local GP
- Understand how to use your eVisa to prove you’re eligible for free NHS treatment
- Memorise 111 and 999, just in case
- Look up your nearest hospital and A&E department
- Find a pharmacy
- Get on the NHS dentist waiting list
That’s it – you’re all set for a healthy new life in the UK.
