Healthcare in the UK
Everyone in the UK has the right to healthcare whether emergency treatment or ongoing care is needed.
Public healthcare
Public healthcare is provided by the National Health Service (NHS). Services include:
- hospitals
- doctors
- dentists
- chemists
- opticians
- ambulances
Entitlement to NHS treatment
Free and subsidised medical treatment from the NHS is available for:
- British citizens who are living in the UK
- Anyone who has been resident in the UK for the previous year
- EU nationals
- Students on courses longer than six months
- Anyone with a British work permit
- Nationals from countries with reciprocal health agreements with Britain, although exemption from charges is usually limited to emergency treatment.
It is a good idea to take out medical insurance if you are not entitled to free or subsidised healthcare. If not, treatment could work out to be very expensive.
Related links
Health & Social Care Services in Northern Ireland
Private healthcare
Private healthcare in the UK is efficient, reliable and professional. For this reason many people, particularly those who can afford it, opt to go private when they need medical treatment. Find out more on the Private Healthcare UK website.
Finding a doctor
Local doctors - otherwise known as General Practitioners (GPs) - operate from surgeries and provide advice on health issues. They offer medical examinations and prescribe medication and other treatments where necessary.
If you want to see a doctor you usually have to book an appointment at your local surgery, although open surgeries (where you don't need to book) are sometimes available during weekday mornings.
You can find a GP as well as other NHS services, on the NHS Choices website.
Alternatively, you can find a private or specialist GP on the Private Healthcare UK website.
Finding a dentist
Dental treatment in the UK is also available on the NHS or privately. NHS dentists usually offer basic examinations and assessments as well as x-rays, fillings and non-surgical treatments like scaling and polishing. You can find an NHS dentist on the NHS Direct website.
Private dental treatment provides more specialist and cosmetic treatment, most of which are not provided by NHS. You can find a private dentist on the Private Healthcare UK website.
Chemists
Chemists are health shops manned by a professional pharmacist. Chemists sell medicine that can only be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist. They also usually sell over-the-counter-medicine and toiletries. The latter are also freely available in most supermarkets and newsagents.
Boots is one of the best-known chemists in the UK, although smaller ones also exist.
Emergency treatment
Every hospital has an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department which is open to anyone and everyone. In the case of an emergency this is the place to head to.
If, for some reason, you cannot get there by yourself and need help, telephone 999 - the UK's general emergency services line - and ask for an ambulance.
Find out more on the NHS Direct website.
Other useful links
Department of Health - England
Health and well-being in the UK - Directgov
Health and social care - Welsh Assembly Government
Health and community care - The Scottish Government
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety - Northern Ireland
Some healthcare is free or subsidised in the UK. However, in some cases you may have to pay all of the cost of the medical treatment you receive while staying in Britain.