Health
care
The National Health Service offers free medical treatment (at hospitals
and general surgeries) to all who are ordinarily resident in the
UK but requires payment for prescriptions, dental treatment and
spectacles.
First aid/emergency treatment is free of charge for all visitors,
after which charges are made unless the visitor’s country
has a reciprocal health agreement with the UK. The following have
signed such agreements: all EU countries (but Danish residents of
the Faroe Islands are not covered), Anguilla, Australia, Barbados,
British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Channel Islands (applies only
if the visitor is staying less than 3 months), CIS countries, Czech
Republic, Falkland Islands, Iceland, Hungary, Isle of Man, Malta
(for visits up to 30 days), Montserrat, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Romania, Russian Federation, St Helena, Serbia & Montenegro,
Slovak Republic and Turks & Caicos Islands. The agreements provide
different degrees of exemption; full details of individual agreements
are available from the Department of Health; see also the Health
appendix. |
