Healthcare FAQs

If your course lasts more than 6 months and is full time, then as soon as you are registered with a local family doctor (General Practitioner/GP) in Cambridge, you will have as much National Health Service (NHS) cover as any UK citizen (except possibly for the treatment of any pre-existing conditions). Therefore you are strongly advised to choose and register with a GP as soon as possible after your arrival in Cambridge.

If you already have medical insurance in your home country, you may wish to check whether this can be extended to cover your stay in the UK.

The payment office at the local general hospital (Addenbrooke’s) advises that all international students obtain private healthcare insurance to cover the following potential health-related costs:

• Loss of fees, if you are unable to complete your course
• Additional treatment and medical expenses not covered by the National Health Service
• Costs of returning home, if a relative is taken ill
• Costs of a relative visiting you in the UK, if you fall ill
• Returning to your home country for treatment

Further information is available from the University International Student Team.

If your course lasts more than 6 months and is full time, then as soon as you are registered with a local family doctor (General Practitioner/GP) in Cambridge, you will have as much National Health Service (NHS) cover as any UK citizen (except possibly for the treatment of any pre-existing conditions). Therefore you are strongly advised to choose and register with a GP as soon as possible after your arrival in Cambridge.

If you already have medical insurance in your home country, you may wish to check whether this can be extended to cover your stay in the UK.

The payment office at the local general hospital (Addenbrooke’s) advises that all international students obtain private healthcare insurance to cover the following potential health-related costs:

• Loss of fees, if you are unable to complete your course
• Additional treatment and medical expenses not covered by the National Health Service
• Costs of returning home, if a relative is taken ill
• Costs of a relative visiting you in the UK, if you fall ill
• Returning to your home country for treatment

Further information is available from the University International Student Team.

If your course lasts for longer than 6 months and is full time, then National Health Service care and treatment will be available to both of you, as much as a UK citizen (except possibly for the treatment of any pre-existing conditions), once you are both registered with a local family doctor (General Practitioner/GP) in Cambridge… assuming that your wife will be living with you while you study. Therefore you are strongly advised to choose and register with a GP as soon as possible after your arrival in Cambridge.

If you already have medical insurance in your home country, you may wish to check whether this can be extended to cover your stay in the UK.

The payment office at the local general hospital (Addenbrooke’s) advises that all international students obtain private healthcare insurance to cover the following potential health-related costs:

• Loss of fees, if you are unable to complete your course
• Additional treatment and medical expenses not covered by the National Health Service
• Costs of returning home, if a relative is taken ill
• Costs of a relative visiting you in the UK, if you fall ill
• Returning to your home country for treatment

Further information is available from the University International Student Team.

To book an appointment with a doctor, you must first be registered with a Cambridge General Practitioner / GP (Family Doctor). Once registered, simply telephone the GP reception requesting an appointment: urgent or non-urgent, depending on your need.

You should make time to register with a Cambridge GP, as soon as you can after arrival, so you can receive emergency care if you need it and access health services quickly and easily while you’re at University. This is especially important if you have an ongoing / complicated health condition. When required, Cambridge GPs are used to liaising with other Practices and Hospitals across the country. Being registered here in Cambridge will not preclude you from seeing your GP when you are at home (this can be done by completing a temporary resident’s form). Cambridge GPs have experience dealing with students, and working with the University and Colleges. You will need GP registration in case of illness in the lead up to, or during your examinations and if you need special exam arrangements or allowances to be made.

You are recommended to register with a Cambridge General Practitioner / GP (Family Doctor) as soon as possible after your arrival to College.  It doesn’t matter which GP surgery you choose and you are at liberty to register with any of them. Most students prefer the convenience of registering with the nearest to the College.

The registration process is basically standard in each surgery/practice. It consists of completing 2 forms: a small NHS form and a larger surgery form. Some surgeries allow part of this process to be carried out online.

It doesn’t matter which GP surgery you choose and you are at liberty to register with any of them. You are recommended to register with a Cambridge General Practitioner / GP (Family Doctor) as soon as possible after your arrival to College.

Your NHS number is your National Unique Patient Identifier, used to help healthcare staff and service providers match you to your health records. You are allocated one at birth or when you register with a UK General Practitioner / GP (Family Doctor). If you have not registered with UK GP before, you will not have one so leave this section blank on the form.

You should be able to find your NHS number from the following sources:

• on your NHS medical card, if you have one (not all NHS areas issue medical cards)
• on an NHS letter or other NHS document
• on a printed prescription
• on request from your home GP surgery

Only leave this section on the GP Registration form blank if you have completely explored the above possibilities.

You will need to make an appointment to discuss this with your Cambridge General Practitioner / GP (Family Doctor). In the UK, it is the GP who makes the referral, if necessary.

You are recommended, in the strongest terms, to follow the advice for newly arriving students on vaccine preventable infectious diseases from the University, the latest edition of which is available on their health web pages.

Currently in the UK, the Men ACWY vaccine is being offered free by the NHS to students going to university or college for the first time as Freshers, including overseas and mature students up to the age of 25, when they contact their GP to have it, ideally before the start of the academic year. This is because they probably will be living and working in an environment associated with the higher risks of getting it.

Although you are now 26, if you have accommodation in College and /or will be sharing your working space with students, you might like to consider being vaccinated before you arrival, if you are able. If however this is not possible, you can obtain it privately at your own expense in the UK, for example at Superdrug it will cost about £70. This is approximately the cheapest available at time of writing.

Currently in the UK, the Men ACWY vaccine is being offered free by the NHS to students going to university or college for the first time as Freshers, including overseas and mature students up to the age of 25, when they contact their GP to have it, ideally before the start of the academic year. This is because they probably will be living and working in an environment associated with the higher risks of getting it.

Returning students (or students who are 25 years old and over) who want the MenACWY vaccine can obtain it privately at their own expense in the UK, for example, at Superdrug, it will cost about £70. This is about the cheapest available at time of writing.

You are recommended, in the strongest terms, to follow the advice for newly arriving students on vaccine preventable infectious diseases from the University, the latest edition of which is available on their health web pages.