Cost of living in the UK

Health care in the UK is one of the most important aspects you have to look into. When you are not in the best of your health, to get medical attention and seek advice, you must see your General Practitioner (also known as a GP) from the local National Health Service branch (also known as a SURGERY).

IMPORTANT: Get registered with a GP as soon as you arrive. A private consultation is very expensive. It’s a different matter if you are insured for private care. You have to consult a GP first, even if you are going for private care.

To learn more go to NHS UK. Select the section for your local NHS centre and call NHS Direct for more information to get you started.

The usual process is as follows -

• Call the NHS Direct number
• Ask for atleast 2 or 3 NHS Surgery addresses close to where you live
• Call the surgeries for an appointment. Tell them you want to register.
• Go to the Surgery on the appointed day. Stick to the time. (No guarantee that they will stick to it )
• There will be a general checkup and a nurse will usually fill up a health questionnaire for you.
• It’s done. In a month or a little later, you will get your NHS card. (Recently, I learnt from my surgery that the card is no longer issued to immigrants. So, it’s important, you take your NHS number to use as reference in any communication later.)
• If you are ill, you do not have to wait until you get the card. You can still get medical advice / treatment as your registration is complete.

Before you consult a GP at a registered Surgery, it is mandatory to take an appointment. So, keep the number handy. They also give out of office hours contact numbers for emergency situations. Use them only in an emergency.

You can mostly walk into a local hospital (not same as your Surgery) without an appointment. Treatment will be prioritised depending on the needs of the patient.

Costs involved

Typically general medicines for cough, cold, headache, etc are available off-the-shelf. These generally cost less than £10. However most antibiotics and other medicines have to be prescribed by a GP. When you go to a drug-store/pharmacist with a prescription, a minimum fee is charged for that medicine. That’s irrespective of whether the actual medicine cost is less or more than the minimum charge on the prescription. I think the minimum charge is around £7. Please verify this with your GP.

Fortunately, even prescribed medicines are free for pregnant women upto one year. They even qualify for a routine dental check-up free of cost. Atleast this was so when I was around.

Dental appointments in UK are miserable. You may have to wait sometimes for 4 - 6 months just for a routine cleaning. Appointments cost around £45 for 2 sittings. Dont be surprised if the dentist recommends a private care for the same cost and just one sitting. They claim it’s better than the NHS treatment!! I dont see a reason how and why? Anyway, that’s open to discussion when you make friends locally.

Bottom line - as long as you dont need health care in UK, you are better off.

Here are a few health care online stores in UK which may interest you.