• Laura Welch BSc (Hons), RN
• Practice Nurse, Health Promotion & College Liaison Lead
• King’s College London
International Students’ Orientation
Accessing NHS Healthcare in the UK
National Health Service (NHS) –
some interesting facts
- Launched in 1948 : world’s largest publicly
-
-
funded health service.
Healthcare for all
the NHS remains free for anyone who is resident
in the UK.
With the exception of charges for some
prescriptions and optical and dental services,
60m people!!
1m patients every 36 hours
Who is eligible for treatment through the
NHS?
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•
•
•
Am I entitled to NHS care?
You are entitled to both primary and secondary
care as a long-term student at King’s.
Primary care is health care within General
Practice and community clinics.
Secondary care is with specialists or in hospitals.
If you have not yet been issued with an NHS
number, you need to ensure you have insurance
or funds to cover secondary care you may need.
Who is eligible for treatment through the
NHS? (cont.)
Examples of 'secondary care' are:
• Diagnostic procedures performed in hospitals
• Hospital specialist out-patient appointments
• Some other community clinics that are funded by
secondary care
• Admission to hospitals
As a long-term student at King’s you are immedidately
entitled to both primary & secondary care but until you
have received your NHS number you will only be
entitled to 'secondary care' treatment under the NHS if
you are from the EU or European Economic Area (EEA)
or your country has a reciprocal agreement with the UK.
If you are not, you may be asked to pay.
EU countries & EEA countries
• EU countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden and the UK.
• EEA countries:
The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein
and Norway.
• And Switzerland!
Non-EU/EEA countries with a reciprocal
health care agreement with UK
• Anguila, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan
• Barbados, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, British
Virgin Islands
• Falkland Islands, Georgia, Gibraltar
• Isle of Man, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
• Macedonia, Moldova, Montserrat, New Zealand
• Russia, St Helena, Serbia & Montenegro
• Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turks & Caicos Islands
• Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Who is eligible for treatment through the
NHS? (cont.)
• More details can be found on the Public Health
England website
• Once you have received your NHS number you
should not be asked to pay for secondary care as
you’re entitled to both 'primary' and 'secondary'
health care as a long-term student at King’s.
What does NHS registration
entitle you to?
• Free consultation with GP, either at King’s
College NHS Health Centre or wherever you are
registered
• Free hospital treatment in Accident & Emergency
• Free hospital treatment if your Doctor
recommends it
• Free contraceptive services
• Free maternity care
• N.B. All contraception in the UK is free!
What will you need to pay for?
• Any medication a Doctor
prescribes for you.
(Some Nurses,
Pharmacists, Podiatrists,
Physiotherapists &
Dieticians also prescribe)
• Any dental treatment
within the NHS scheme
• The cost of eye tests and
glasses or contact lenses
What will you need to pay for?
• Some forms or letters you
may ask us to complete
for you
• Some travel vaccinations
The role of a GP practice/health centre
• The GP is a General Practitioner – a doctor who has specialised
in family health.
• GPs are qualified to see anyone from small babies to the
elderly including patients with many types of physical and
mental health problems
• You will only be referred to specialist care if you have a
complicated condition or require further investigation /
treatment for your illness.
• GPs are bound by certain national/ local guidelines when
referring patients to specialists.
• To get an appointment with a specialist can
take many weeks. You may consider paying
for a private referral to be seen more quickly
(which can be expensive).
King’s College NHS Health Centre
Catchment Area
King’s College NHS Health Centre
•Register and fill forms online
•Make sure to bring in your student/staff ID
•Go and see a nurse/GP if you have an existing
medical condition and need medication
•Many nurses in the UK are qualified to assess
patients without or before seeing a doctor
•Alternatively if you prefer to register somewhere
else , look at the NHS website at: www.nhs.uk
Type in your postcode and you will be provided with a list of local GPs
Kings College NHS Health Centre
Website : http://www.kingscollegenhshealthcentre.com
Opening times:
Term time:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
Tuesday and Thursday:
09:00 - 18:30
09:00 - 20:30
Non term time:
Monday - Friday
09:00 -18:30
Address:
3rd Floor, Macadam Building, Surrey Street,
Strand Campus, London, WC2R 2NS
Help your GP to help you
• Take in your existing medication and any
specialist letter / investigations/ test results.
• Register with a General Practice before you
become ill!
• You may be given slightly different medication
from the one originally prescribed, as local
protocols vary and some medications from
abroad are not available in the UK.
Prescriptions
• If your GP or nurse gives you a prescription for
medication, you then take this to a pharmacy
• £8.05 for a prescription (per item)
• Pre-payment certificates may save you money
• Under certain circumstances prescriptions are free (and
if you are under 19 years old)
• “Are you entitled to help with NHS costs?” available
from Pharmacies.
• You are entitled to apply for assistance with NHS
charges but most overseas students will not meet the
eligibility requirements for help. If you think you may be
eligible, complete form HC1 available from Post Offices.
• OTC (over the counter medications) are available.
• Please do not bring anti-biotics in from abroad!!!
Where to go if you are unwell
• contact your surgery
• King’s College NHS
Health Centre
020 7848 2613
• Out of hours (when the
Health Centre or your
GP is closed) telephone
the usual number - you
will be put through to a
Nurse Practitioner/GP
Where to go in case of an emergency
NHS Hospital Emergency Departments “A&E”
St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth.
St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.
Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.
King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill.
University College Hospital, Bloomsbury.
Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead.
Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith.
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Fulham.
Emergency number in the UK 999/112
If not an emergency & you live in Westminster,
Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham
– call 111
NHS Card and EHIC Card
• With your NHS card you may be eligible for free treatment when visiting
an EEA country or a country with a reciprocal health care agreement.
• But you need to have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which
you can obtain, free of charge, after completing a form available from
Post Offices or online. (Use the link on our website to the free card).
• Please note you are not eligible for an EHIC until you have an NHS card.
• If you are travelling outside the EEA or to any country which is not
covered by a reciprocal health care agreement, you must have private
medical insurance. The NHS will not help with medical costs incurred
outside Europe and in cases where you do not have an NHS/EHIC card.
• If you go skiing/snowboarding you must take out private insurance. An
EHIC will not cover the cost of mountain rescue, skiing and other
dangerous sports which will require private insurance.
• When your course finishes and you go home, don’t forget to let your GP
or the King’s College Health Centre know you are leaving the UK.
General Wellbeing
• Psychological wellbeing: stress, being abroad,
language barrier, culture shock, loneliness.
• Lifestyle: healthy eating, physical activity, alcohol,
smoking, drugs, contraception, sexual health.
• Immunisations – Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR), Meningitis C
catch-up campaign 2014.
• All students under 25 years of age who have not had a vaccine
containing Meningitis C since the age of 10 years. All students
over the age of 25 years who have never had a Men C vaccine.
Female students:
• Cervical screening if aged 25+ or already started having screening
elsewhere.
Important websites
• NHS Choices
• Choose Well: LAS
• Self Care Forum
• Dee’s A&E Fail: NHS
• Sexpression
Student-run website with advice on sexual health
Any Questions?
Thank you!