Attention, students who want to study in Britain, it is inevitable that one will get sick when living abroad, so how can one see a doctor in Britain? Let's have a good chat for everyone. The medical system and medical procedures in Britain are very different from those in China. When I first came here, no one told me that I had to wait until I got sick to find a doctor everywhere, which made me very headache, so it would be absolutely helpful to introduce to you how to see a doctor in Britain in advance.
1. How to register for GP (Register with your local GP) in the UK
Every international student who comes to the UK is advised to register for GP (General Practitioner) in the area where he lives. When he is sick in the UK, he goes to this GP instead of going directly to the hospital, which is a bit like a small regional clinic. All GPs are managed by NHS(National Health Service). To check the GP where you live, please visit this website. Each GP has its own jurisdiction, and you must live in their jurisdiction before you can register.
The procedure of registering GP is very simple. Go to the front desk and say that you want to register with them (I would like to register with the GP please). Then they will give you a form to fill in your personal information and illness history. After filling it out, they will ask you to show your proof of address in the UK to ensure that the place where you live is under their jurisdiction. This step may also be done before filling out the form.
Proof address is very useful in Britain. It will be used for making bank bills, registering GP and signing mobile phone contracts, but it must not exceed three months. Students who live in dormitories are lucky because the school rental contract can be used to prove that friends who rent their own houses, especially those who don't go through the intermediary, may have to wait several weeks to receive a letter with their current address. Acceptable letters to prove the address include: Utility bills, bank/building society statements, credit card statements, HM revenue and customs statements, university letters, payslips and so on. Generally speaking, for friends who rent their own houses, the quickest way is to apply for a student letter from the school immediately after going to school and send it to their place of residence in the UK to prove their address.
after filling out the form, the front desk will also give you a urine test tube, because it is stipulated in Britain that every young person under the age of 25 should be tested for Chlamydia (called chlamydia, which is a sexually transmitted disease of STD). You don't have to do it, but GP will still give it to you.
after successful registration, GP will give you a Welcome Pack to introduce their outpatient service and various medical contact information. A week later, you will also receive a Medical Card sent to your home by them with your NHS number on it, so keep it. The last point should be noted: if everyone moves, GP will also move with them, and it is necessary to re-register with GP under the jurisdiction of the new residential area.
2. How to see a doctor in Britain? )
Some GPs provide walk in service, which will only be available on specified days of the week. Different outpatient hours are different, but not all of them are available, so be sure to check the opening time of your GP. Under normal circumstances, GP doctors in Britain need to make an appointment by phone, leaving their names and birthdays (but only after registration). Busy GP appointments are sometimes scheduled for more than a week, like catching a cold, and few people go to see a doctor here, because it's almost over when they catch a cold. So what can I say? It's best not to get sick in England! It is very troublesome to see a doctor. I remember one time I had a cold and a cough, and my chest was very painful. I stood in line for an hour (I went to the GP emergency clinic). After seeing a doctor, the doctor told me that I was fine, so I wondered why I didn't even prescribe medicine, so I asked her for medicine. She returned and said: No medicine can cure a cold, but the best thing is to go home and drink lemon honey water. Those cold granules bought by the pharmacy are useless, just making you feel better? I thought
after hearing what she said?
3, then you may ask, what do hospitals do in Britain?
In Britain, hospitals are not everywhere like Beijing and Shanghai. Large hospitals usually perform some major operations and receive emergency clinics (called A&; E ? Accident & Emergency), such as sending an ambulance, because they have more employees and more comprehensive facilities. Ordinary GP clinic is the first step to see a doctor. If they can't do it there, the doctor will write a letter of recommendation to the big hospital for corresponding examination, so if it's not a serious illness, don't run to the hospital. Remember my friend said to me when I first went abroad. Here, I'm dying before I go to the hospital! ? . However, if the GP is closed on Saturday and Sunday, but you are too sick, you can only go to the hospital, but be prepared to queue up.
Queuing seems to be a very common phenomenon in Britain. I never went to see a doctor without queuing. I waited for half an hour less and queued for two or three hours, which made me feel uncomfortable. I felt even worse when I sat in my chair alone. I might as well lie at home.
When you arrive on the day of GP appointment, you can tell the front desk or register automatically. Now many GPs have computer touch screens for patients to register themselves. After registration, you just wait. When you arrive, your name and the doctor's room number will appear on the screen on the wall. If you go to the hospital, you don't need to make an appointment, so you should talk to the front desk about your symptoms, and then wait for the nurse to ask you to take your blood pressure and temperature and group you. After that, it is the most exhausting waiting. The nurse will classify you according to your symptoms and your illness. If it is mild, I'm sorry. If there are many people, you will definitely have to wait for a long time. When it's your turn, your attending doctor will personally come out and call your name and take you in. After GP sees a doctor, the doctor will give you a Prescription. GP doesn't sell drugs. You should take the prescription to the local pharmacy to buy it. Boots, Superdrug (a bit like Watson's daily necessities store in Britain) and larger supermarkets will all have pharmacy services. In 29, NHS issued a unified prescription for selling drugs at a price of? 7.2 (Of course, this price will increase according to the annual demand for funds from NHS). No matter whether the doctor prescribes painkillers (very cheap, a few pence) or drugs with a unit price of more than 7 pounds, you will be charged 7 pounds 2. This money is for NHS, not for pharmacies, but if you are a full-time student under the age of 18, you don't need to spend money on the drugs prescribed. If you go to the hospital, the medicine is given directly by the doctor at last, and there is no charge, so many big hospitals are called what's what's free hospital.
I remember one time when I woke up in the morning, I suddenly found that I had a bag on my body. I didn't know whether it was bitten by a bug or I grew it myself, and I couldn't catch up with the weekend clinic, so I went straight to the hospital. After seeing the nurse, the nurse didn't know what was wrong with me. I couldn't tell whether it was my own bag or a bug bite, so I called an attending doctor halfway. The handsome young doctor looked at it and said: Long. ? I said is it serious? He said? You won't die. If you don't want to wait for me, I'll give you some antibiotics. If you wait, go out and sit and wait, but it will take a long time. I have a great problem with his attitude. Why do you beat the patient like this? I insisted on staying and watching. After waiting for nearly three hours, another female doctor called me in. The final conclusion was that it was bitten by a bug (the garden was outside the string where I was unlucky to live), but I was still given antibiotics? Everything Britain does is to give Anti-biotic, which is called anti-biological.
4. How to get a cold vaccine in Britain? (How to get flu vaccination? Also called JAB)
British people rarely make an appointment with GP to get a cold vaccine. NHS only recommends that women over 65 who are seriously ill and pregnant go to GP to receive the vaccine, because they are the most vulnerable group. Vaccines are different in no season, and NHS suggests that autumn is the most suitable season for vaccination. All vaccines are free, and you can go to GP or local designated Pharmacy to get them.
5. How to treat gynecological or sexual diseases in Britain? (Sexual health services)
Of course, you can go to the GP to see sexually transmitted diseases, but there are also special sexual health centers in Britain, which provide free information, cervical examination, condoms and contraceptives, all of which are free, and the test results will be sent to your mobile phone text message. If you go to GP to see a gynecologist, the doctor will also give you a large set of condoms and put them in a cowhide bag for the patient to take away. GP also provides contraceptives. In Britain, there are as many as 15 contraceptive methods, including pills, injections and patches. To find the nearest sexual health center, please click this page and enter the zip code or area of your residence.
6, emergency
On the Welcome Pack of GP, it will be written how to call a doctor when the clinic is closed. If GP doesn't give them a welcome package, remember to do it. There is a lot of important information there. But in any emergency, please call 999 for an ambulance.
Many students studying in the UK have never registered for GP, but I strongly recommend that you register! I admit that the British medical system is very inconvenient. If you come here to see a doctor, you will definitely feel its disadvantages, but after all, health comes first and we are responsible for ourselves. Slap her! Hey, I can't help it.