An asylum seeker is someone who comes to the UK, often fleeing persecution, torture or war, and applies for refugee status.
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An asylum seeker is someone who comes to the UK, often fleeing persecution, torture or war, and applies for refugee status. Until refugee status is granted, such a person remains an asylum seeker and may be entitled to accommodation and support.
Free NHS services include:
You usually need to pay for:
You can get free prescriptions and dental treatment if you have a HC2 certificate.
Your personal health information is private. NHS staff will not share it without your permission unless they are concerned about your safety.
During a medical emergency, you should go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. This is free for everyone.
For a life‑threatening emergency, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
For urgent help that is not life‑threatening, call NHS 111.
Do not use A&E for minor health problems.
A general practitioner (GP) is the main doctor you see in the UK. They help with:
GP practices may also have:
You should:
To register, you will usually need to provide your:
You can still register even if you do not have ID or proof of address.
Find out how to register with a GP surgery
Once you have registered with a GP, you may be invited for a simple health check with a nurse It is important to go, even if you feel well.
If you move home, you must register with a new GP. You can only be registered with one GP at a time
Mental health problems range from the worries we all experience as part of everyday life to serious long-term conditions.
Anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression are the most common problems. If you have been feeling depressed for more than a few weeks or your anxiety is affecting your daily life, make an appointment to speak to your doctor.
Advice and details of support services are available on:
All maternity care is covered by the NHS for an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) payer. This includes:
Due to the severe health risks associated with conditions such as eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, and to protect the lives of both mother and unborn baby, all maternity services will be treated as being immediately necessary. No one must ever be denied, or have delayed, maternity services due to charging issues.
Maternity services cover care from the beginning of pregnancy through to sign off by a midwife. This is usually around 10 days after the birth but can be up to 6 weeks postnatally.
Anyone settling in the UK should contact a GP or midwife as soon as you find out you're pregnant. It's important to see a midwife or GP as early as possible to get the pregnancy (antenatal) care and information you need to have a healthy pregnancy.
The NHS website provides all you need to know about pregnancy, labour, birth and NHS maternity services.
You can find out what financial support you may be entitled to at GOV.UK.