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HEALTH & MEDICAL - Doctors and Medicine One of your most urgent tasks when arriving in the UK should be to register with a doctor. If you get sick and haven't already registered, then the chances are that you'll soon feel an awful lot worse. Getting it organised is relatively easy and what's more, for EEC and Commonwealth visitors it's free (although prescriptions cost approximately £6). Here's how to register:
There is now a new Freephone advice service called NHS Direct, which could prove useful for more minor complaints - Ring 0845 4647. The UK has two separate health services: Private and the government-run National Health Service. NHS treatment both in hospitals and General Practitioners' surgeries is free, but there is a charge of £5,90 for any prescribed medicines. This cost rises every year on April 1st. ON ARRIVAL It's a good idea to register with your local doctor as soon as you have found somewhere to live. GPs are listed in the phone book. If you become ill and you are not registered, go to the nearest doctor's surgery and they will register you as a new or temporary patient. Should you need a doctor to visit you at home, most surgeries have an answering service which will give you the relevant number to call. Alternatively, call the 24-Hour Health Line on 0208-677 8383. Reciprocal
arrangements with the UK allow residents of New Zealand to receive free accident and emergency treatment, free use of hospital
clinics for sexually transmitted diseases and subsidised dental health care
through the National Health Service (NHS). The network is operational over 80 percent of UK, and should soon be operating in central and northern London. Call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for more information call the Health Information Service on 080 066 5544. Health Line Numbers
HOSPITALS Hospital casualty departments will treat you without charge in an emergency - just turn up and wait your turn.
To see a family doctor (known as a GP), free through the NHS, you must register with one. Registration is simple but you must be staying within the doctor's catchment area. Call your relevant health authority below and ask them to send you a list of doctors in your area.
DENTISTS Keeping those pearly whites in tiptop shape is important as well. Get a full dental check-up before you leave home. It will be cheaper to have work done at home before you leave. However, if you have problems once you arrive, limited free dental care is available under the National Health Service. To access treatment, register with a local dentist. Private care is available, but going private is expensive. Dental treatment is only free to those in receipt of state benefits, for the rest of us check-ups can be costly. In an emergency, the Eastman Dental Hospital at 256 Gray's Inn Road, WC1 can be useful. It is a free walk-in emergency dental hospital for anyone without a dentist in London. No appointment is needed, and people are treated on a first-come, first-served basis. It's open Mon to Fri 9am-noon and 2-4pm. Also try Guy's Hospital Dental School, St Thomas' St, SE1 London, which operates from 9.00 am to 3.30 pm, Monday to Friday (Tel: 020 7955 4317) for free emergency dental care. A visit to your local dentist can prove to be an expensive business. However, limited free dental care is available under the National Health Service. To access treatment, make sure you register with a local dentist as soon as you arrive in the UK. For information on your nearest dental surgery call the Accident and Dental Emergency 24-hour service on 020 8677 8383, or try the 24-hour Emergency Dental Services helpline on 0958 510 935. For dental treatment call the British Dental Association (020 7935 0875) which will provide lists of dentists in your area.
JABS One of the most important things to do before you travel abroad is to visit your doctor for a medical check-up. Your doctor is also the best person to advise you on what vaccinations you should get before you leave home. Hepatitis is a general term for inflammation of the liver - Hepatitis A and B are just two of the viruses that can cause this problem. Jaundice (when your skin turns yellow) is the symptom that most people associate with Hepatitis - but not everyone who is infected with Hepatitis will show symptoms. This is especially true of Hepatitis B where only 30 percent of those infected show signs of disease. Hepatitis A is transmitted through contaminated food and water. It's the most common vaccine-preventable disease that travellers catch, and the risk can be as high as 1 in 50 travellers per month of travel in less developed areas. You can catch Hepatitis A anywhere in the world, but it is more common in less developed countries where food and hygiene standards may not be up to scratch. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for Hepatitis A and the typical illness lasts around two months. Some people feel quite lethargic for up to 12 months afterwards, and there is usually a recommendation to stay off alcohol for 12 months after infection - this could really ruin your travel plans. The good news is that vaccination is almost 100 percent effective and after a series of two or three injections (depending on the vaccine given) you will have long-term immunity (at least 10-20 years or longer). Hepatitis B is spread through body fluids - this means sexual contact, dirty needles and syringes, or accidental mingling of blood (e.g. in a rugby game). The most common method of transmission is through sexual contact. It is the only sexually transmitted disease that can be vaccinated against - but remember that vaccination does not protect you against any other sexually transmitted disease, so safe sex remains a true necessity when travelling.
Contraception Contraception is free for everyone in the UK. Contraception, advice on pregnancy termination, and free supplies of condoms, pills and coils can be obtained from local Family Planning Associations. Telephone numbers can be found in phone books or the Yellow Pages. Appointments are usually not necessary but some operate only a few days a week, so telephone to establish local opening hours. Most clinics also offer free and confidential HIV testing and counselling. The NHS may be on its knees - understaffed and underfunded - but contraception remains free for all. Contraceptive advice, information on pregnancy terminations and free supplies of condoms can be obtained from your local Family Planning Clinic or Brook Advisory Centre. Alternatively obtain free contraception and advice from the Family Planning Association. The head office is based at 27 Mortimer Street, London W1A 4QW; (0207-837 5432). The morning-after pill can also be obtained from your local doctor often without an appointment. Condoms and Femidoms are sold over the counter in chemists and supermarkets. Travellers not only have to cope with the travel bug but the love bug as well. Contraception is free through the Family Planning Association. For more information call the Contraceptive Education Service helpline on 020 7837 4044. STD CLINICS STD treatment is also free.To find a clinic, look in your phone book under genito-urinary medicine or STD, or phone your local hospital and ask for the 'special' or GU clinic. Advice and Information on HIV can be obtained free of charge from the National Aids Helpline (0800-567123; the call is free). The service is completely confidential. The majority of STD clinics offer confidential HIV testing and counselling.
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE Stock up on herbal remedies at the numerous Holland & Barrett health shops and at Neal's Yard in Covent Garden. For a more hands-on approach, contact The British Acupuncture Council (0208-964 0222), The British Homeopathic Association (27a Devonshire St, W1; 0207-930 9254).
EMERGENCIES In a medical emergency, free call 999 and ask for an ambulance (this
phone number also covers police and fire). If you have a mobile, please ensure
that your keyguard is active when the phone is in your bag. You'd be surprised
how easy it is to push '999' accidentally.
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