Health care in the UK

Britain has had a National Health Service(NHS) since 1948 and if you’re unfortunate enough to have an accident, emergency treatment is free for everybody. Non-emergency treatment is available to people from the European Union and Commonwealth countries and EU citizens should apply for their European Health Insurance Card which proves your entitlement in any EU country.

If you are involved in an accident or incident of some kind, the emergency number in the UK is 999 for Police, Fire or Ambulance services. 112 is a European standard number that can also be dialled but the vast majority of people in the UK would still call 999.

If you have a non-life threatening medical problem the NHS has a 24 hour phone service you can call to get an initial diagnosis or advice if you don’t want to go straight to a hosiptal. You can call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visit their website www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

Medicines and prescription drugs can picked up from chemists(pharmacies) that are on most British shopping streets or from large supermarkets which have their own inside. The NHS website lets you search for chemists by location, opening times and services offered. There’s also a link to find your nearest hospital if you need one.