If you travel to London, you may wonder how to access medical care while here. It can be confusing as we have a public health service and also a private health service. Most tourists do not have access to our public health service, the NHS (National Health Service), and therefore need to access private appointments with GPs or urgent care.
In your home country, you may have insurance that covers you for your care while at home. This usually does not cover appointments abroad unless they specify otherwise.
This includes European nationals who visited the UK and who, due to Brexit, may not have access to most NHS services.
Local insurance policies usually do not cover healthcare services in the UK for visitors from the US or Australia unless they specify that care abroad is covered.
Therefore, care is usually self-pay, which can be reclaimed through travel insurance. You may also have international insurance as an expatriate, and usually, this covers the majority of your care, especially when the clinic is a preferred provider such as ours.
There can be multiple reasons you will require medical care while travelling. The most common reasons that we see include:
- Forgotten or lost medication
- Unexpected illnesses
- Minor injuries and accidents
So let’s take these one by one:
- Forgotten or lost medication: If you’ve lost or forgotten your regular medication, we can help. Depending on the medication, we may require a letter from your specialist back home confirming the medication name and dose. If this is available in the UK, a private GP can prescribe it for you. You will also need a telephone or in-person consultation.
- Unexpected illnesses: If you fall ill while abroad, private GP services are your ideal go-to. You can book online or call us and see a GP on the same day, regardless of your symptoms.
- Injuries: If you’ve experienced a full or partial injury, private GP services can also help in collaboration with our network of imaging departments and specialists. If you suspect you have a fracture, for example, a private GP service will organise your X-ray for you, and if a fracture is confirmed, you can be cast or receive further specialist care.
There are several benefits to using private GP services as a visitor to the UK :
- Convenience: you can book a same-day appointment at a convenient time.
- Quality of care: you will enjoy longer appointment times and a high quality of care with a private GP.
- Fast results: Your blood test results and any imaging you might have will be quick to support your ongoing health journey.
- Fast referrals: if you need specialist care or a private hospital admission, a private GP service can quickly offer these.
To make an appointment, book online or give us a call.
