Health Care

Students on courses of six months or more

Students registered for full-time courses in the UK of 6 months or more are eligible to receive full health care from the National Health Service (NHS) regardless of country of origin.  You will have the same rights as a UK resident.  This means that you can register with a GP (local doctor), receive hospital treatment as an inpatient as well as an outpatient, treatment for pre-existing conditions and full maternity services.  However there is a charge for dental services and optical services are not available on the NHS so you will have to pay for them.

You may be eligible for help with the cost of prescriptions, dental and optical services, on the basis of low income. To claim help towards health costs you can apply on form HC1 which you can obtain from hospitals, dentists, opticians and doctors’ surgeries.

If you do need hospital treatment, you may be asked to provide a letter from the College to prove that you are on a full-time course of six months or more.

Your family's entitlements (spouse/children) are the same as your own unless they have been accorded visitor status.  In this case they will be entitled to NHS care only if they are from a country with a reciprocal health agreement or require emergency treatment.

Students on courses of six months or less

If you are on a course lasting six months or less, you are entitled to NHS medical care only if you are from a country which is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) and you have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, or if you are from a country with a reciprocal health agreement. If you are coming from Switzerland then please see a student adviser to discuss your rights to healthcare. All students and accompanying family members from the EEA should have completed form E128 obtainable from your own national authorities. If you have not completed form E128 you will only be eligible for treatment for illnesses that became apparent whilst in the UK , and not for illnesses you already had before you came here.

NB. Non-EEA nationals from a country without a reciprocal health agreement who are on a course for less than six months should take out full health insurance. 

How do I register with a GP (Local Doctor)?

All students should register with a local doctor. In the UK these are known as General Practitioners (GPs).

If you are on a course of six months or more you should be able to register with a GP relatively easily.  When you go to register you will have to take a letter of enrolment. You can find out where your local GP surgery is, by asking in your local post office, library, pharmacy or by contacting the Family Health Service Authority in your area (phone number will be in your local telephone directory), or available from the University Health Service.

If you are on a course of six months or less it will be more difficult to register with a GP as doctors’ surgeries may not accept you on to their books.  You can however, always contact the University Health Service described below.  You should obtain health insurance for the duration of your stay. Please see final section ‘Personal Possession Insurance’ for details about how to get Insurance.

How do I register with a Dentist?

If you are eligible to receive NHS treatment, you should try and register with a NHS dentist rather than a private one.  With a NHS dentist you should get reduced cost dental care. To register with a NHS dentist you must have first registered with a GP.

Need more information? Visit http://www.doh.gov.uk

ACCA