One of the greatest benefits of the Youth Mobility Scheme visa is it allows Australians to have access to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) which is the UK’s equivalent of Australia’s Medicare. This means you can see a doctor in the UK without having to pay privately which can be very expensive.
As you can never really predict when you will need access to a doctor or the hospital in the UK, it makes sense to set this up as soon as you can and definitely before your travel insurance expires. Below I explain everything you need to do to see a doctor (GP) and access free medical services in the UK
Note that access to doctors (GPs), dentists and other NHS health services have likely been affected by the recent Covid pandemic. There are also extended wait periods for obtaining a National insurance number at the moment.
What you need to do before you arrive in the UK?
Before you even fly, ask your Australian doctor for a medical history summary which you can give to your UK doctor if necessary.
It is also good to ask your doctor for an approved medication list for any prescription medications you need to take on the flight over to the UK. You should take at least three to six months’ supply of your prescription medications including the pill.
How to register for the NHS
When you apply for your visa you will need to pay a mandatory Immigration Health Surcharge. This fee allows you to have access to the NHS for the entire 2 year duration of your Youth Mobility Scheme visa. As of the 9th of October 2021, the Immigration Health Surcharge costs £940. Click here for the current fees.
Warning: Make sure you are definitely planning to live in the UK before you make this payment as there are no refunds if your visa application is successful. It doesn’t matter if you decide not to go or if you leave the UK before your visa ends. You will not be able to get a refund.
When you have paid your Immigration Health Surcharge fees, been granted your visa and collect your Biometric residence permit you will be eligible for the NHS. You can access the NHS anywhere in the UK. However, you will need to register at a GP practice to be able to access many of the services offered by the NHS.
Can you go see any doctor (GP) in the UK?
Most people will register with a doctor, GP practice, near their home. However, you can choose a practice further away if you prefer. Some GP practices may decline your application if they have closed their books or if you live far away from their practice.
If you happen to be travelling away from home and you need to see a doctor you can go to a GP practice for emergency treatment for up to 14 days. If you require further treatment then you will need to register as a temporary (up to 3months) or permanent resident. You can also go to a hospital for emergencies or call 999.
Finding a doctor (GP) in the UK
Finding a doctor’s GP practice in the UK is easy. Just google for doctors near you. You can also find doctors by entering your postcode, town or city into the NHS Find a GP tool. Remember when you register with a doctor/GP, you are registering with the practice not an individual doctor.
It is worth checking to see if the doctors at your practice are good. You can firstly check the doctors are registered with the General Medical Council (the regulatory organisation for UK doctors). You can then check google reviews and the NHS GP Patient Survey where patients give feedback on their experiences at different GP clinics.
Registering with a doctor / GP practice in the UK
Go to the doctor and ask for a registration form. You can sometimes obtain this online, call or email the doctor. You will also need to fill out a questionnaire. You will need to show them your Biometric residence permit and proof of address as the GP practices you will be allowed to register with are dependent on your location. (Some GP practices will allow you to register outside their catchment area. Just ask if they will accept your registration.)
This is the registration form they will give you: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gms1
You will need to print this form, fill it out and return it to the GP practice.
It usually takes 2-3 weeks to be registered. Depending on the clinic you may receive registration confirmation by mail or email, or you may need to call the clinic to confirm this. After this has been completed you can book appointments with your local doctor. Make sure you check how to book appointments at your local GP clinic when you sign up as some can be difficult.
Note:
- Do not just walk in to a local GP practice and expect to be seen as this won’t work.
- It is free to register.
- If you live in London you may prefer registering with Babylon GP at hand instead of one physical GP practice. This is a GP service which incorporates telehealth appointments. People will initially have a video consultation with a GP, physiotherapist, pharmacist or nurse. If they require a-face to-face GP consult they will then be directed to one of 7 GP clinics in London. They may also be sent to a pharmacy to collect medications. Other similar services include Push Doctor and Zava.
Booking an appointment with a doctor (GP) in the UK
You can book an appointment by phone or email. It is important to know waiting times for appointments can be up to 2-3 weeks and consults usually run short (approximately 10-15 minutes).
If you see a doctor privately you can book an appointment earlier but you will need to pay.
How to see a doctor / GP without being registered in the UK
You have three options:
1. Visit a walk in GP centre
Walk in centres are few and far between but there is usually at least one open in most major cities. These special GP medical centres do not require you to be registered with them. You just need to show your BRP and be able to show you are entitled to the NHS. Be prepared to wait for a while but it’s free and every time I went it was well worth it.
I went to the Leigh NHS Walk in Centre and took a friend to the walk in centre at Broadmead Medical Centre in Bristol. The doctors at both places were great
Walk in centres are good for urgent treatments including:
- Any trauma (sprains, strains, suspected fractures, head injuries, cuts, abrasions, bites, stings, minor burns)
- Coughing, colds, flu
- Eye problems
- Ear and throat infections
- Skin problems
- Gastrointestinal issues (vomiting, diarrhoea, gut pain)
- Fever
- Emergency contraception
2. If it’s an emergency, go to a hospital.
3. See a doctor privately (not registered with the NHS). You will have to pay for the consultation and any medical treatments but if you have private health insurance this might be covered.
I only had private health insurance for part of my time in the UK when my employer paid for it. However, when I needed health care after I left that job I only had the NHS and I thought it was adequate. I decided to leave procedures like dental cleans for when I returned to Australia. The benefit of private GPs is there’s hardly any wait times.
Costs of seeing a doctor and other medical treatments in the UK
The cost of seeing a doctor in the UK and any hospital tests and treatments are free through the NHS. You only need to pay if you choose to go private.
Other medical services as mentioned below are subsidised.
Dentists and Optometrists
These services will require you to pay additional fees as they are not as well covered by the NHS.
Prescription medications
The NHS subsidises prescription medications. This means you will only have to pay £9.35 per item or medication in England which is extremely cheap considering how much some medications can cost. In Scotland, prescription medications are free!
If you need to regularly buy prescription medications it may be cheaper for you to buy a NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate. You can buy a 3 month (£30.25) or 12 month (£108.10) certificate which allows you to get an unlimited number of prescription medications for those time periods (as long as you have a script from a GP). You can buy these certificates online here.
Contraceptives at GP clinics and hospital in-patient medications are also free. However, the UK may not have the same brands as Australia.
Helpful resources
Call 111 for general health information and advice from the NHS. They can also help you if you need repeat prescriptions.
Call 999 if you have an emergency.
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) Information: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/overview
Calculate your Immigration Health Surcharge: https://www.immigration-health-surcharge.service.gov.uk/checker/Type
Information on NHS services: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Pages/NHSServices.aspx
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