Medical care and private insurance

You should register for with a GP practice (doctor’s office) within the first two weeks after you arrive in the UK.

If you are not feeling well, please tell people who you live close to and contact Student Services if you need support taking care of yourself. If you are going to be absent from your classes, email your course lead or module convenor so they can organise catch up work for you.

Wellbeing support

The Student Support or Wellbeing team can provide you with additional help.  The service is confidential and they are available by emailing wellbeing@stmarys.ac.uk.

National Health Service (NHS)

The NHS is the UK’s state health service which provides treatment for UK residents through a wide range of health care services. Some services are free and some have to be paid for. The gatekeepers for most NHS services are GP doctors, who work in offices called Practices or Surgeries.

If you will be in the UK for longer than six months, you will need to pay an NHS surcharge.

Medical insurance

If you’ll be in the UK for less than six months you will need to pay for non-emergency medical treatment. We strongly recommend that you take out medical insurance before you leave your home country.

Emergency medical care is free through the NHS, but you will need to pay if you need to access medical care or see a doctor on a non-urgent basis. If you need regular medication, plan to bring enough with you to get you through at least the first few weeks.

Existing chronic conditions

If you have an existing chronic condition, please bring any case notes your doctor feels would be useful in the management of your condition with you. If you are taking any regular medication, please ensure that you bring enough supplies with you to cover the length of your stay in the UK. 

Emergencies and free NHS care

If you enter the UK with a student visa and pay the NHS surcharge, then you are entitled to access NHS healthcare at no additional cost for the duration of your stay in the UK. 

Some treatment is provided free to everyone on the NHS, including accident and emergency services, family planning services, and the treatment of conditions caused by types of violence. 

Students entering with Short Term Student visas will have to pay for any medical treatment other than the above as a private patient. Private medical treatment is expensive if you do not have private medical insurance. It is very important that you take out medical insurance for the duration of your visit to the UK. 

Dental treatment

There is a charge for all dental treatments. Charges vary from dentist to dentist so ask for a quote before agreeing to any treatment.

---