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Healthcare |
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One of the great advantages of coming to study in the UK from overseas is that you will be entitled to free health care, provided you register for a full-time programme lasting 6 months or more. As an International student you are therefore eligible for NHS treatment from a doctor free of charge as long as you are enrolled for a period of study for over six months at TASMAC - London. If you are in the UK for less than six months, you may only receive free emergency treatment on the NHS, unless you are from a European Economic Area country, or your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with the UK. |
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| For a list of UK reciprocal health agreements go to the NHS website. |
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| Registering with a Doctor |
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It is very important that you register with a local doctor (GP) as soon as possible. In some areas of London, GP practices are fully booked. This means that if you become ill, and you are not registered, you may not be able to see a doctor of your choice and may have to be allocated one from your local Primary Care Trust. This is the last thing you need when you are ill. Even if you tend to always be healthy, do not tempt fate.
For UK students who have been registered with a doctor at home, you can still see your family doctor as a temporary patient over the holidays if you need to.
A consultation with your doctor is free. |
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| Your doctor can help with |
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Vaccinations |
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Contraceptive advice and medication |
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Cervical Screening |
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Referrals to other specialist health services |
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Sick notes for mitigating circumstances (if you are unwell for more than seven days) |
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Meningitis |
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The risk of contracting Meningitis is small, but new students are one of the groups at risk. If you are aged 24 years or under and have not already had the Meningitis C vaccination, make an appointment with your doctor for a free vaccination as soon as possible. Click here to go to our section on |
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| When you go to register, (both home students and international students) you will need to take: |
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Your NHS medical card if you have it |
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Your previous doctor's name and address, and |
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Your passport and a letter confirming the length of your course (non-UK students only). |
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| How much does medical care cost? |
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All consultations with a doctor are free, however if you are prescribed any medication, you have to pay around £6.50 per item. There is no automatic exemption from prescription charges for students, but you can complete an HC1 form, available from Student Services. You may find that you can get help with prescription and dental costs if your income is low enough. Students do often find that their student income makes them ineligible for help.
If you are involved in a medical emergency only, you should dial 999, and ask for an ambulance, which will take you to the nearest accident and emergency department. This service is also free of charge.
You may go to your doctor with a specific problem that needs to be referred to a specialist at the hospital. Again there is no charge for this referral, but you may have to wait for the hospital appointment to come through. |
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| Dentists |
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Before you go to see a dentist, make sure you complete an HC1 form, then check the dentist will take NHS patients, as private dental work can be very expensive. |
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| NHS Direct |
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If you are unsure as to whether you need to see a doctor about a particular health problem, contact NHS Direct, which is 24 hour telephone advice service on 0845 4647 |
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| Useful websites: |
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| NHS Direct (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) |
| StudentHealth.co.uk (www.medetail.co.uk/home-doc/) |
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| Please click on this link for guidance note for international students on keeping healthy |
http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/files/pdf/info_sheets/keeping_healthy.pdf |
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A practical guide to medical services in the UK, and students' entitlement to them. Also helpful information on diet, weather and personal health. |
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