The NHS explained

An easy guide to all you need to know about your national health service, including the various ways it can help you as a student.

What is the National Health Service?

The ‘National Health Service’ (commonly known as the NHS) is the UK’s public healthcare provider. It is a large organisation that provides healthcare across the UK as well as extensive medical advice online. It operates many useful services, including (but not limited to):

  • A local doctor (GP) service
  • Accident and emergency services.
  • Major and minor surgical procedures
  • Mental health support
  • Support with pregnancy and sexual health.

NHS services in England are funded mainly through taxation and national insurance contributions, making them free at point of use for all UK citizens. international students and visa holders can also access most services free at point of use, providing certain conditions have been met.

How Do I Access NHS Services as an International Student?

In order to access free healthcare through the National Health Service, you need to be registered with a GP and have an NHS number. As an international student, you can only register for the NHS if you are studying full-time and are living in the UK for longer than 6 months.

Full time international students will need to pay the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS) before you can register for and start using NHS services. The charge for students is currently £776 per 12-month time period, with the option to add on an extra 6 months or less for £388. So, if your course lasts 12 months and you have a student visa lasting 18 months, you would pay:

£776 (for the 12 months of your course) + £388 (for the 6 months outside your course) = £1164 in total.

The IHS is compulsory and is paid as part of your student visa application, so if your visa has been approved, then chances are the IHS has been paid too. Once you have paid the IHS and arrived in the UK, you can complete the process by registering with a General Practitioner (GP).

Once you are registered, you will be given that all-important NHS number - and then you’re good to go!

What is a General Practitioner (GP)?

A ‘General Practitioner’ (commonly known as a GP) is a doctor working in the NHS who can provide treatments and prescribe medications to people in their local area. GPs can treat minor injuries and illnesses such as the flu, various skin conditions, infections, general pain, and sprains/muscle strains.

Once you’ve had a consultation with your GP, they will refer you to a different healthcare professional or specialist within the NHS if they cannot provide the treatment you need. You must register for a GP near your student accommodation as they will be the first person you should see if you are feeling unwell. You cannot book an appointment with a GP without being registered at the place where they work (commonly called a ‘GP practice’) first.

For international students, it’s important to remember that even if you have paid your charges, you still can’t access the NHS until you have registered. Therefore, you should try to register with a GP practice close to Uni as soon as possible after you arrive in the UK – don’t wait until you need help.

How can I register with a GP...

If you are a Coventry University student based in Coventry, registering with a GP couldn’t be easier! Your Uni has its own GP practice. It’s the Coventry University Medical Centre, which can be found on the second floor of The Hub. You can register with the practice here. Please note that you must live within the Coventry City boundary (your postcode must start with CV1 to CV6) to register here. If you don’t have a CV1 to CV6 postcode or are based on a campus outside of Coventry, you can go here and type in your postcode to find your nearest GP practice.

If you’re a student studying on one of our London campuses (Dagenham and Greenwich), you have a couple of different options for GP surgeries that you can register with. The recommended GP to register with for London students (both campuses) is Holborn Medical Centre – if you want to register with them, first check whether you’re eligible, then click here. It’s quick and easy. If you would prefer, you can use this NHS tool to find and register with your nearest GP practice.

Scarborough students living at an address that start with Y011, Y012, or Y013 are recommended to register with the Castle Health Centre, unless you are already registered with a GP in Scarborough, in which case there’s no need to change! If you live outside these areas, you can use this NHS tool to find and register with your nearest GP practice.

Always remember: You can’t make an appointment with, get advice from, or access the prescription services of a GP practice without being registered with them first. NHS services are in high demand which means that if you wait until you’re sick to register you could be waiting a long time for help.

What is a Prescription?

A prescription is a formal communication from a registered healthcare professional, which authorises a pharmacist to give you a specific medication. You will need to be registered with a GP practice in order to be prescribed medication for immediate, short term and long-term problems. GPs can also authorise a repeat prescription for longer-term medications that you may have been prescribed by other specialists or healthcare professionals outside your local area. Whilst most care and treatment received through the NHS is free, prescribed items of medication have to be paid for, unless you are exempt. You can apply for a medical exemption certificate if you fulfil one or more of the following criteria:

  1. You are over 60
  2. You are pregnant
  3. You are under 19 in full time education
  4. You are being prescribed contraception
  5. You are receiving medication as part of an inpatient hospital procedure
  6. You have certain medical conditions (a full list of eligible conditions can be found here)

You can check if you’re eligible for help with NHS prescription costs here. If you are not eligible, then the current cost for a prescribed item is £9.90. Please note that this is cost per item, not per prescription. So, if you have been prescribed three items together, you would pay £29.70 for your prescription in total.

If you take lots of different medications over a period of time, it may be more cost effective for you to apply for a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) – this allows you to pay a set amount of money in one go for either 3 or 12 months, which covers all your prescription costs regardless of how many items you are being prescribed. A 3-month PPC costs £32.05, and a 12-month PPC costs £114.50.

Unsure about whether you’re eligible for help with medical costs, or have any other questions? You can contact your Students’ Union Advice Service to receive free, confidential advice.

What is a Pharmacy?

A pharmacy is where you go to pick up any medications that your GP or healthcare professional prescribes for you. You can also buy over-the-counter medications such as cough medicine or non-prescription painkillers. If a GP or healthcare professional prescribes you medicine, you can get this sent to a local pharmacy for collection. You can choose which pharmacy you pick it up from; it doesn’t have to be near the person who prescribed it to you. You don’t need to be registered to access over the counter services from pharmacies, but you do need to be registered with a GP in order to get prescribed medication from a pharmacy.

You can find your closest pharmacy by entering your postcode here.

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