Healthcare
Medical Treatment
Medical treatment in the UK is free to all European Union (EU) citizens and full-time students studying for more than 6 months.
Registering with a Doctor
Students are advised to register with a doctor during their first week in the UK. You can register with a doctor near to where you are living: Once you have a UK address, find your nearest General Practitioner (GP) by entering your post code on the National Health Service website. You then should contact the practice, to see if they are accepting new patients. When registering, you need to provide appropriate documentation (e.g. passport and proof of UK address). The local health centre (Marylebone Health Centre) will consider students from Regent's University London for registration, providing that they are studying at the University for more than 6 months or are an EU citizen. Marylebone Health Centre's registration forms are available from Student Services, or can be downloaded from the Centre's website. Forms should be printed out, completed and sent to the Centre.
Accident & Emergency Treatment
All EU /non-EU citizens resident in the UK are entitled to receive accident and emergency hospital care free of charge, although some non-EU citizens may be charged for treatment of pre-existing conditions. The nearest NHS Accident & Emergency Department is at University College London Hospital in Euston Road. Any EU citizens are advised to take their European Health Insurance Card with them, otherwise they may be charged for treatment.
Students with pre-existing medical conditions
If you have a pre-existing medical condition (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes) make sure to register with a doctor as a priority. It may be helpful to provide the University's Disability Officer with an updated letter from a medical practitioner, giving relevant details about your medical condition and any ongoing treatment.
If you are currently taking medication, you are advised to bring a supply with you. Check in advance exactly how many days' medication will be needed for your stay. You may wish to bring a doctor’s letter, stating that you need to bring this medication with you. If you need a repeat prescription you need to register with a UK doctor and should do this as soon as possible. Marylebone Health Centre will only issue repeat prescriptions if a student has been examined by one of their GPs and they are satisfied that the medication prescribed by the doctor in the student’s home country is appropriate and available in this country. Please note, a GP may not be able to agree to a repeat prescription of medication they are not familiar with, and so may want to refer on to a specialist. This will cause a delay.
Student Services can store medication for a student staying on-campus (especially if the prescription needs to be kept refrigerated). Providing the medication is not considered illegal in the UK, there is usually no problem with Customs, provided it is properly labelled.
Ophthalmic and Dental treatment
All students must pay for ophthalmic and dental care on the NHS.
Medical Insurance
Even though you may be covered for some services from the NHS, the University recommends all students to take out appropriate medical insurance to cover any medical expenses that may occur in the UK and abroad. Any international student studying at the College for less than six months should have taken out medical insurance to cover any required treatment. You are advised to check with your insurer in advance to find the contact details of local private medical treatment providers. If required, Marylebone Health Centre can provide details for the nearby private Wellington Hospital. You should make sure that you take any appropriate medical precautions (e.g. vaccinations) before departure. Check with your doctor and Consulate if you are unsure about what you need. Be sure to take all your medical insurance documents with you, as you may need to provide evidence that you have adequate medical cover.
Travel Insurance
You should also take out travel insurance that will cover you until you arrive at Regent’s University London and for any excursions you decide to do during, or after, your stay with us.
Food allergies
If you have a known food allergy you are advised to notify the Disability Officer, or in her absence, the Head of Student Services. If you have an allergy you are advised to carry any necessary medication (such as an epi-pen) with you at all times whilst at the university. If you need to avoid certain foods, on arrival, you should make yourself known to the manager in the Refectory, who can liaise with the head chefs and talk you through the daily menu. If you wish, you can contact Vari McGaan (Deputy General Manager for Catering) who will be able to answer any questions you may have: tel 0207 487 7839; McGaanv@regents.ac.uk
Severe allergies: In case you are suddenly taken unwell, it is helpful for the university's first aiders to be notified if you have a severe allergy. Please let the Disability Officer know if you would like first aiders to be informed.
