The UK has a network of public hospitals and health services run by the NHS, the National Health System. For Hampshire this is organized under NHS England. The system is managed locally by health trusts who are funded with our tax money.
This network provides a vast array of services, from your local family doctor (GP) to emergency services, rehabilitation and treating long term conditions.
Everyone in the UK, with a permanent right to live and reside, has free access to the health care system. Other foreign nationals with a stay over 6 months may need to pay a surcharge to access the services. And others may need to take on a private health and accident insurance to cover their need in the UK.
Although most services are free, some still need a payment from the user, especially dental services and medicine prescriptions.
HOW TO REGISTER WITH THE NHS
To access the public health care system you need to register with a GP, a General Practitioner, a family doctor who will attend your everyday needs. The practice at the local surgeries, a network of small medical centers available in every neighbourhood.
You can find your local GP/doctor surgery options in this link, by putting the post code of your address in the box and searching. select one and phone them for an apointment to register with them
To complete your registration you will need to:
- Fill in a GSM1 Form: They will give you one at the surgery or you can download it from this link.
- Take a Valid ID with your photo on it, like your driving license or your passport.
- Take a valid proof of address. This can be a utility bill in your name, a council tax document with your name on it, or a bank statement. If you are unsure talk with the surgery before hand and ask them which ones they will accept.
The surgery can refuse your application if you fail to provide sufficient ID, if your address is too far from the surgery, or if they have a full list of patients and cannot accept any more. In that case you will need to provide further evidence of your status, and/or find a new surgery in your area.
REGISTERING WITH A DENTIST
Once succesfully registered with a GP, you will still need to register again for a local dentist, as the GP surgery doesnt always provide this service. Don’t leave this for the last moment when you really need one as many dentists have patient waiting lists and you may be forced to go to one privately with the added costs.
Find a dentist that accepts NHS patients (at NHS rates) here in this link. More information about registering with a dentist here.
Dentist will normally call you for your yearly routine appointments at the NHS cost rates. If you dont do your follow up’s, you may be eliminated from the dentists patient list, so make sure you attend your checkups.
GETTING HELP IN AN EMERGENCY
Under an emergency you have several ways to ask for help. It will work even if you are not registered yet with the NHS. Please try to chose the adequate one to not overburden the services and follow the instructions
PHONE 112 or 999 (it works the same) for a life-threatening emergency. if someone has a broken leg, has fallen and is not breathing, they have had a heart attack….
PHONE 111 for non life threatening emergencies to get medical advice like a heavy flu, a twisted ankle, … a triage nurse will forward you to the apropiate help. this may be an a doctor over the phone, or they may ask you to go to A&E, or follow some instructions at home
A&E (ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY) are special wards at certain hospitals that are prepared to take care of patients that have suffered a severe injury or need inmediate health attention. They should be only used in the case of a real emergency. On arrival a triage nurse will decide the urgency of the attention you need, its not a first-come-first-serve. So if you arrive with a minor injury you can spend there all day waiting as other patients with bigger needs are put in front of you.
MINOR INJURIES CENTRE these are special hospitals inbetween a full A&E and a surgery. They attend injuries that need inmediate attention, like a bad cut or a sprained ankle that need help but are not life threataning. In these cases they can be much faster to examine you and help you than the regular A&E at the main hospital
YOUR LOCAL SURGERY/GP of course during their opening hours you should get medical help at your GP, even in the event of a minor emergency. They may be able to book you in at short notice, or forward you to the adequate hospital service, or book you into a specific A&E service like getting an x-ray done for them to examine the next day.