NHS Medical and Dental Services

Medical treatment for international students

Students on courses of six months or longer

All international students studying in the UK for six months or more are eligible to receive full health care under the National Health Service. This includes hospital treatment as an in-patient, the treatment of pre-existing conditions, full maternity services and registering as a patient with a doctor/general practitioner (GP). The spouse and dependent children accompanying an international student in the UK are also entitled to the same health care benefits as outlined above.

Registering with a Doctor / General Practitioner (GP)

You should register with a GP as soon as possible, because doctors’ consultations and the provision of other NHS services, e.g. non-emergency hospital treatment, depend on it.

Loughborough University Medical Centre is located conveniently in the centre of the campus and aims to serve all full-time international students. Contact details and opening hours can be found on the reverse of this sheet. You should take your registration form there in person (please do not send it by post). An NHS medical card will then be sent to you. Note that it may take up to three months to be issued, but you can receive NHS treatment without the card in the interim. It is essential for you to keep the Medical Centre informed of your local address, especially when you move to your permanent accommodation.

Charges

All international students described above are subject to the same statutory charges, e.g. for prescriptions (currently £7.20), dental and optician’s treatment as anyone else in the UK, but you may also apply for exemption from charges. To apply for exemption, you should fill in an HC1 form, available from NHS hospitals, walk-in centres and GPs. This claim form is also available on request by calling the Health Literature Line on 08701 555 455 (then press 3). You may be eligible for full or partial exemption of charges. Qualifying for free or reduced cost prescriptions is not regarded as a recourse to public funds by the Home Office and so will not infringe your student visa conditions nor will it jeopardise any application for an extension of stay in the UK.

If you are pregnant or have given birth within the last 12 months, you are automatically eligible for free prescriptions and do not need to apply for exemption from charges.

Students on courses of less than six months

If your course of study is for less than six months, emergency hospital treatment will be provided but only the treatment given in a NHS Accident and Emergency department is free of charge. Once you are admitted on to a ward or given an outpatient appointment, charges will apply. GPs may agree to treat you without charge, but this will usually be limited to urgent treatment that cannot be delayed until you return home. You will have to pay for any other treatment as a private patient. It is therefore very important that you take out medical insurance for the duration of your visit to the UK. If do not have insurance, private treatment could prove very expensive.

Some countries have reciprocal health care agreements with the UK. If you are studying here for less than six months, you should seek advice from the health authorities in your home country to check what treatment will be covered. You may still need to take out limited or even full medical insurance depending on the particular arrangements.

Loughborough University Medical Centre

Location: On campus next to the Residential Organisation building.
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 08.00 – 17.30.
Appointments & emergencies: 01509 222061 (including out of hours emergencies).
General enquiries: 01509 222062 (office hours only).

Evenings and weekends: A doctor is available for emergencies 24 hours a day throughout the year.

For medical attention out of the office hours students should go to the NHS Walk-in Centre in Pinfoldgate, Loughborough. Please check the medical centre’s website and notice boards for further information about these changes.

www.lboro.ac.uk/service/medcentre/

Other local medical provision

For information on finding an alternative local doctor who can offer treatment under the NHS see: www.nhs.uk/root/localnhsservices/

Under ‘What service do you need?’ enter ‘GP surgeries’ and for the postcode enter ‘LE11’.

Dental treatment for international students

How to register with a dentist

Registration with a dentist is separate from your medical centre registration. However, you need to be registered with a doctor (GP) in order to qualify for NHS dental treatment; otherwise you will have to pay the full cost of private treatment.

Loughborough University Dental Practice is located next to Student Union Building on campus. You should register there by filling in the medical form provided by the practice. You will need to give them the NHS number on your medical card. If you have an exemption certificate, you should take it with you.

Charges

There is a charge for all dental treatment. Treatment on the NHS will cost less than private treatment. Charges also vary from dentist to dentist so ask for a quote before agreeing to any treatment. The dentist will then ask you to sign an estimation of the treatment’s cost.

You do not have to pay for dental treatment if:

  • You are under 18 years of age
  • You are under 19 and in full time education
  • You are pregnant and hold a valid exemption certificate
  • You have had a baby within the last 12 months and hold a valid exemption certificate
  • You are eligible to seek help under the NHS Low Income Scheme (ask your dentist for form HC1)
  • You are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

Loughborough University Dental Practice

Location: On campus next to Student Union Building.
Office hours: Monday – Thursday 9.00 – 18.00, Friday 8.00 – 14.00
Tel: 01509 261602. Please phone before 11.00 to make an emergency appointment for the same day.

Other local dental provision

For information on finding an alternative local dentist who can offer treatment under the NHS see: www.nhs.uk/

Under ‘What service do you need?’ enter ‘Dental practitioners’ and for the postcode enter ‘LE11’

Note: Check first whether the dentist accepts NHS patients, as some dentists will only accept private patients. Once accepted, you will need to give the dentist the NHS number on your medical card. Some dentists will only register you as a patient after an initial examination. When you visit the surgery, you should remind them that you want to be registered as an NHS patient. Your period of registration will last for 15 months. If you do not return for a regular check-up within 15 months, you may be removed from your dentist's list.

Information prepared by the International Student Centre and the International Office. Last updated January 2010..