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 useful information about uk ::
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| Life in the UK : |
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Health Care : |
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| Doctors |
You must normally sign up with a medical practice in your area, unless you choose to go private. When you sign up you will be given a form to fill in for you and your family, and a couple of weeks later you will receive your medical card. You can choose a doctor (called a GP) within that practice but it is not uncommon to have an appointment with another one if yours is not available.
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Do not expect to spend a lot of time with them (5 to 10 minutes), and if you need to spend a little more time with your doctor it is advisable to mention this to the receptionist so that she might book the following consultations for you as well. Some visitors to the UK are used to visiting a doctor in a sterile office, full of medical equipment, may be unaccustomed to the way a GP's office looks in the UK.
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You do not pay for a consultation or a house call. But you do pay for medicine, glasses and dental care. A patient can change GP at any time without having to give a reason or having the consent of his current GP. He has to tell the health authority, who will give him a list of alternative GP's. The patient has to bring his medical card to the new GP and register. He can make an appointment right away. The patient will receive a new medical card. A patient can ask for a second opinion only if the GP thinks it is necessary. If the GP refuses, the patient may wish to change their GP. If you see a doctor privately you should expect to pay £30 - £60, this may or may not be reimbursed by your insurance company if you have private healthcare. |
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| Dentists |
| You can choose to see a dentist (called dental surgeons) privately or covered by the NHS. A private dental check-up may cost as much as £30 or more. If you want treatment as an NHS patient you must mention this when asking an appointment. You should also bring your NHS card. You can choose whatever dentist you like; there is no geographic restriction. Dental treatment for children is free. |
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| Specialists |
| As a NHS patient you can't see a specialist directly - you must be referred by your GP. If he refuses to refer you can change GP's or go private. A gynaecologist will usually only see pregnant women if there is a serious medical problem. However, a pregnant woman can choose to see a hospital consultant if she wishes to. If you require a new pair of glasses or lenses you should not see an ophthalmologist. You should go to an optician. Most opticians are registered to test eyesight and make a prescription, and they can also sell glasses. But you are not required to buy your glasses from the same optician who made the prescription. Ophthalmologists are only seen in the case of serious problems related to vision. |
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| Pharmacies |
You take your doctor's prescription to the pharmacist (called chemist). They will ask you to fill out the back of the prescription and depending on whom the medicine is for, you might have to pay or not. Medicine for children and pregnant women is free. There are also a number of other exceptions. If you have a minor problem for which you don't want to see a doctor, a pharmacist can give you advice. Some medicine is cheaper if you buy them without a prescription. Your doctor can inform you about this. Boots is a national chain where you can buy prescription medicine but also many things that aren't really related to medicine. If you have to see a pharmacist out of regular hours you should check if there is a sign on the pharmacy indicating who is on call, otherwise you can ask the police. |
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| Hospitals |
You can choose between private hospitals and state-funded hospitals. The state-funded hospitals can be teaching hospitals, community hospitals, hospitals caring only for children, etc. Only large hospitals have emergency services. Unless it is an emergency, you have to be referred by a GP or a specialist. NHS hospitals have wards with about 12 beds, sometimes with mixed sex. You can ask for a private bed, but you will have to pay for it, the standards can vary considerably. Private hospitals can offer specialist services (health checks, cosmetic surgery) but they don't offer emergency services. |
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| Emergencies |
| If you are not able to reach your doctor call the police who will give you phone numbers of doctors on call. |
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| Raising Children |
State organised pre-school for children in the UK starts in the school year they turn 5 years. Starting from the age of four, places at playgroups are subsidised. Before that age, childcare in the UK is done privately. |
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| Day care centres or nurseries (private, Montessori, etc) |
offer full day care prices range from £3-5 per hour or £20-32 per day. Ages are from 0-5. |
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| Child minders |
watch children in their own home. These have to be registered and ask a fee starting around £3/hour. |
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| Playgroups |
accept children from 2½ or 3, potty trained or not. Usually they offer several mornings (9-12) or afternoons a week. They can be based in a church hall, local community sports centre, or other places. Prices can be £5 per session. Children can start wearing school uniforms (sweatshirt with nursery logo) at that age. |
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| Theme playgroups |
normally not longer than 1 or 2 hours and can offer gymnastics for toddlers, music sessions, etc. Prices can be £6-7 per session. |
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| Nanny |
you can also hire a person to watch children in your own home. There are many agencies that can help you find the right person. If you have several children who need to be looked after, this may be a cheaper solution than private day care. There is not too much official paperwork. You have to pay taxes and National Insurance on top of her salary every trimester. She must also be insured for accidents in your home. Usually this is covered by your home insurance. Check your policy for this. You can also call the Citizen's Advice Bureau for more information. |
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| It is best to register as soon as you arrive in the UK in order to have the widest choice in the coming months or year. It is not unusual to be put on a waiting list and to have to pay to register (non-refundable fees). Many parents register their children at several places to make sure a place will be available for them. This results in long waiting lists everywhere. It is best to call the social services centre of your council who will give you a listing of registered child minders or day care centres. It is best to choose from these lists as they are inspected regularly and have to meet certain standards. When visiting day cares centres, you should ask to see their OFSTED report (which looks at the standard of education) and the report by the "Social Services Inspection". You can also find information about playgroups at the local library.
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| Information concerning pre-school children |
Pre-school Learning Alliance
National Centre
69 Kings Cross Road
London WC1X 9LL
Tel: 0207 833 0991 |
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