Information on GP Registration for International Students

As per the latest guideline, any student who moves to the UK to pursue a full-time course of duration more than 6 months shall be authorized to register with the National Health Service. This directive applies to spouses/children (aged below 16 years or 19 years if still pursuing education) living permanently with the candidate in the UK during the period of the course. Learners pursuing a program of less than 6 months duration but are from EU/EEA nations will also be permitted to register with the National Health Services (NHS). International students shall have to bear the costs of NHS services (for example, prescription charges, and other hospital treatment costs will be regulated and shall be conditional on present waiting list duration. Presently, the NHS agrees to complete any necessary surgical procedure within 18 weeks of recommendation to the hospital. Students are not allowed to access consultants or seek the opinion of any specialist through the NHS without a recommendation from GP, except in emergency cases when patients need to be urgently admitted to hospitals through the Accident and Emergency (A&E) door.

Students, at the time of registration, need to produce evidence of the duration of the course and the nationality. For further details on health care costs, students can refer to Form HC11 (that is, an information booklet that elucidates in detail the general recommendations for reducing the costs of medical treatment, medical examinations, prescriptions, and travel expenditures related to UK NHS care. Further information is also available on the official website of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

Students will have to register with a General Practitioner (GP) or doctor as quickly as they can. Thereafter, they can seek advice regarding different health matters except for dental issues at the GP’s surgery. The GP can then make arrangements for you and recommend you to see any specialist at the hospital as and when needed. Students will not be able to access a specialist without consulting the GP first. Students do not need to pay to register with a GP. Once listed, there is no charge to consult GP. In case if the GP provides a prescription for medication, then the students themselves will have to bear the costs of medication.

To find a GP near your location, students can check the NHS website; check the available GPs, opening times, services and facilities, reviews, and ratings. To register with a GP surgery, students can check the GP surgery website for information on registering online, or they can call or email the GP surgery and ask to get listed as a patient. Students can download and fill up the GMS1 form on GOV.UK in case if they are asked to. At the time of registration with GP, students would need to produce the following documents as proof of identity:

· ID or passport

· Proof of address

· Tenancy agreement

· Birth certificate

· Students need a letter from the University, confirming that they are a student

· Immigration documents if you are an international citizen

Rejection of registration application of a student

A GP surgery can refuse to accept an application for registration of a student in the following cases

-Applicant stays outside the practice boundary and they are not accommodating patients from outside their area

-If the applicants have been removed from the GP register before

-If they are presently not accepting new patients

-If the GP is situated far away from the location of the applicant or the applicant requires added care

Changing the GP

Students might face the need to change GP surgeries in case if

-They move to a different place (it is important to inform GP surgeries in case if students shift to another place or change address)

-They encounter issues with their present practice

-They were removed from the list of patient