Healthcare
You may well need to see a healthcare professional or gain further information about what services are available to you in the UK.
Below you will find a list of healthcare services and how you can get access to them.
Healthcare in the UK is provided by the NHS.
NHS stands for the National Health Service. It is the Government-funded medical and health care services that everyone living in the UK can use without being asked to pay the full cost of the service. These services include:
- Visiting a doctor or a nurse at a doctor’s surgery
- Getting help and treatment at a hospital if you are unwell or injured
- Seeing a midwife if you are pregnant
- Getting urgent help from healthcare professionals working in the ambulance services if you have serious or life-threatening injuries or health problems - this might include being transported to hospital
The best place to get accurate health information is the NHS website.
The NHS website has information and advice on:
- Medical conditions and symptoms
- Common medicines
- Healthy lifestyle
What to do in an emergency
If you have life-threatening injuries call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
For urgent medical help, call 111 and you will be given advice on what to do.
For non-urgent medical help, you should talk to your GP.
Registering with a GP
A GP is a General Practitioner who provides doctor’s services, normally from a surgery.
As soon as possible you should register with a local doctor. All the family should visit your GP as soon as you can so that health checks can be carried out, you can access appropriate wrap around health services and, if needed, referrals to specialists can be made.
Everyone has a right to register with a GP and you do not need proof of address, immigration status, ID or an NHS number (you may be asked to provide ID but it is not a requirement). Advice on your nearest practice can be found online.
If you have difficulty in registering with a GP practice or would like advice on which practice covers your address then please ring 01634 335095, choose option six, or email kmccg.primarycare@nhs.net.
Other health services
The NHS provide other health services, some of which may be chargeable. The NHS website tells you how to access these other services.
The NHS provide search options to help you find your nearest
Page 15 of the UK Government’s guide for Ukrainians coming to the UK provides further information about accessing healthcare, including:
- Mental health
- Eye care
- Maternity care
Our welcome pack (available in English or Ukrainian) brings together most of the information in this section of the website and can be downloaded for future reference.