Health and the NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Before you come to the UK, please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as it will likely be quite different to your health system at home.
The NHS is the UK’s publicly funded health care system. As part of the visa process, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office pays the Immigration Health Surcharge on your behalf, which allows you to have access to the NHS.
Click on the expanding arrows on this page to find out more about healthcare in the UK.
Services include but are not limited to:
- A&E – For emergencies and life-threatening conditions
- General Practitioner – Also called a GP. They can be seen for minor and ongoing illnesses and conditions. They are usually the first person you go to if you have a health problem that is not life-threatening or an emergency. You should register for an NHS GP as soon as you arrive in the UK. Ask your university for more information on this.
- Urgent care centres/minor injuries unit/walk in centres – For minor injuries or illness that can’t wait to be seen by a GP.
- Pharmacies – for general medical advice about common ailments and minor illnesses
You can call also the NHS on 111 in England and Scotland, NHS Direct in Wales, or the out of hours services in Northern Ireland, if you need urgent medical advice for conditions that are not life- or limb-threatening.
If you or someone else is seriously ill with a life-threatening condition, please call 999.
Please note that not all NHS treatments are free of charge, for instance you will have to pay for some dental and optical treatment, plus prescription charges for medication if you live in England. We don’t provide any additional funds for this, and you’re expected to use your monthly stipend to cover these costs.
Read an overview of all services available in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
One of the first things you should do after you arrive in the UK is to register with a doctor, known as a General Practitioner (GP). Please do not wait until you are ill to register with a GP and make sure you choose an NHS doctor.
Finding a GP to register with will depend on where you live in the UK. You can find further details at the links below:
At many universities there is also a student health service on campus.
You may need to show proof of your student status and address, along with your Immigration Health Surcharge number, when registering for a doctor. Your immigration health surcharge number will have been sent to you by email when you made your student visa application.
Although you will have access to free NHS services as a Chevening Scholar, we recommend that you purchase your own insurance (which includes medical insurance) to cover your time in the UK. Waiting lists for NHS treatment can be long and if you have insurance that allows you access to private medical care, you may be able to get treatment more quickly. Please note that Chevening does not provide any additional funding to cover private medical insurance.
Immigration rules may require you to take a Tuberculosis (TB) test prior to entering the UK, depending on which country you live in. Please check the gov.uk website to see if this is a requirement for you.
Please note that TB testing results can take a couple of weeks, and sometimes months if the result is inconclusive.
If you are required to take a TB test prior to entering the UK, you will receive a contribution towards the cost of the test a few months after you have arrived in the UK.
Please ensure that you bring a summary of your medical records with you to the UK, including diagnosis and treatment, translated into English if it isn’t already. If you’re currently having treatment, it’s helpful to ask your doctor to write a letter in English which summarises your medical history.
If you currently take medication prescribed by a doctor, you should be aware that your medication may not be available in the UK, or unavailable in the same dosage that you are used to. You can find out more about medication which is prescribed by the NHS on their website.
Although GPs can prescribe most medication, some medication such as that prescribed for ADHD, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions can only be prescribed by a specialist. Although your GP can refer you for an appointment, you may still need to wait many months before you can see a specialist.
You may be able to bring your medication with you, but you should ensure that you bring a letter of explanation from your doctor. There is more information on the gov.uk website about bringing medication into the UK.
Please note that Chevening cannot provide any advice on medication, you must speak to a healthcare professional for tailored support. Chevening does not provide any grants or additional funding to cover medical costs or costs for other adjustments that you have during your award.
If you’re unwell for more than five days, please ensure that your Programme Officer is informed as soon as possible.
Universities have mitigating or extenuating circumstances procedures if students are unwell and this effects their ability to attend an exam or submit a piece of coursework on time. Contact your university tutor or students’ union for more advice about how the process works at your university. If you are concerned by how your illness may impact your scholarship, then please contact your Programme Officer.
In the event of serious health or welfare issues that occur after your arrival in the UK, Chevening’s medical adviser and/or the Welfare and Immigration Team will liaise with you, with your university’s medical services, and with the academic adviser to consider whether withdrawal from the programme and possible reapplication at a future date would be more appropriate than attempting to complete the course.
You can access further support resources around mental health and wellbeing, disability provision, and staying safe while in the UK by following the links below.
