If you are emigrating to the UK or relocating there, you will want to ensure that you are signed up for the local health care. The UK system is famous and is known as the NHS – National Health Service. NHS Registration may seem like something you can put off and do later but you shouldn’t – get it done as soon as you can. Whether it’s the unpredictable British weather, the Winter bugs that go around or the result of travelling by stuffy public transport, chances are that at some point in your time in the UK, you will fall ill.

Registering for the NHS in the UK

How to Register for the NHS in the UK

Most of the time, the National Health Service (NHS) recommends that for the majority of minor ailments, your first port of call should be to your local pharmacist who can supply you with a range of over-the-counter remedies. In the UK Boot’s is the best and widely respected Chemist and Pharmacist that you can visit. However, there are those occasions when you know that your condition won’t be solved by a tub of Sudocrem and a packet of Lemsips, so you need to see your GP. A GP means General Practitioner – i.e. your doctor and in the UK it’s not immediately obvious how to register with the NHS and access the service. Lebara have a great page on registering for the NHS but even the NHS official website can be daunting when you first visit it. So hopefully this post will clear things up for you (excuse the pun).

My local GP surgery in Southbourne in the UK

First up – Are you entitled to NHS care while you’re in the UK?

The way it works is that the National Health Service is a residence-based healthcare system, so if you move to the United Kingdom, you’re entitled to it. You will not be charged for any kind of NHS hospital treatment from the date that you arrive, as long as:

• You plan to live permanently in the UK and are legally allowed to do so.
• You have the right to live permanently in the UK or at least have a “route to settlement” (which is only in the case of non-European Economic Area nationals), or indeed have an “Indefinite Leave To Remain” status that will allow permanent residence in the UK in due course.

The bad news is that if you are not entitled to live permanently in the UK, but you have applied to the Home Office to enter or stay in the UK, you will be charged for hospital treatment until your application is granted, or until you have 12 months lawful residence in the UK. Those are the hard facts.

But the cool thing is that your spouse, civil partner and children are also exempt from these charges if they live with you permanently. Also exempt from these charges are asylum seekers or those who have been granted refugee status.

The hospital will ask you to prove that you intend to live in the UK on a permanent basis. They will ask for your identity or travel documents, your proof of residence (address details from banks etc.), proof of work (payslips, NI contributions etc.) or evidence that you’re looking for work (Jobseekers details).

Get ready for the prescriptions!

How To register with the NHS?

At your nearest Doctor’s Surgery, your local GP is your number one healthcare professional. The GP deals with most cases, but if you need to see a specialist or to be recommended for further treatment on the NHS, you will need to be referred by your GP to a higher level, unless it’s an emergency (in which case head to the A & E unit of a hospital and join the queue.

Once you register with your local GP, you will be issued with an NHS number, this is an important number to keep and keep note of. It is a 10-digit number that is unique to you, that you will quote whenever you register for NHS services. You will get a card with the number on it – your medical card. Doing this is as easy as this:

• Find a local GP surgery that you want to register with (I normally pick the closest to my current flat/house) and check it covers the area where you live. You can search for one online through the NHS Choices – there are surgeries everywhere.
• Contact the GP surgery and ask to register with them – I normally recommend calling in in person. They will usually ask you to complete a NHS registration form which will ask for information such as your name and address and your date of birth, signature etc.. The GP surgery will also ask to see proof of your identity, such as your passport or driving licence, and proof of your address, such as a work payslip, bank statement or utility bill.

Once your registration is complete, and you have been issued with an NHS number, you will receive a letter confirming your registration and your NHS number.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital

** Please be aware that NHS Registration is totally free. With the exception of paying the Healthcare Surcharge, there is no charge to register with the NHS. Don’t be fooled by websites offering to fill in an NHS Registration form for a fee – fraid does happen.

The Importance of the NHS in the UK

British people are proud of the NHS. It is government run and is free for everyone legally in the UK. British people (myself included) believe it is one of the best health services in the world. I love it, I’m a big fan.

Also a random fact for you. Incredibly the NHS is fifth largest employer in the world (with an estimated 1.7 million members of staff) . The NHS is also one of the UK’s most diverse workforces with more than one in four doctors, and one in ten staff in general, being foreign workers.

So I hope this helps you all out if and when you decide to head to the UK. The NHS is a great service and one that British people should be proud of.