CAN I GET FREE MEDICINE?
If a doctor recommends a medicine, they may write aprescription for you. The prescription authorises apharmacist to give you a particular medicine. You will beasked to pay a standard prescription charge for eachitem (£6.50 as at January 2006). This cost usually risesby a small amount on 1 April each year. If you arereceiving ongoing treatment and need two or moreprescription medicines each month, it may well becheaper to buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate.In January 2006, these cost £33.90 for four months, and£93.20 for 12-months. The certificate covers allprescription charges during that period. Prescriptions andother medicines can be obtained from the pharmacycounter at chemist’s shops. Some medicines are onlyavailable on prescription. In other cases, the medicineprescribed by the doctor may be available to buy,without a prescription, from the chemist for less thanthe standard prescription charge, so always check firstwith the pharmacist.
DO I NEED MEDICAL INSURANCE?
If you are not entitled to free NHS treatment, youshould make sure you have adequate medical insuranceto cover medical costs if you fall ill, and also to cover theadditional possible costs resulting from illness. These canbe substantial, and include• lost fees if you are unable to complete your course• costs of returning home if a relative is ill• costs of a relative visiting you in the UK if you fall ill• cost of returning to your home country for treatment• or in the worst possible situation, returning a bodyhome for burial.Even if you are entitled to free NHS treatment whilst inthe UK, you should consider taking out insurance whichcovers the above additional costs. Moreover, even if youare covered by the NHS for medical treatment, you mayfind that there are long waiting times for some services.An insurance policy which gives you access to privatemedical care could give you much quicker access to thetreatment you need.If you already have medical insurance in your homecountry, check whether you can extend it to cover yourstay in the UK, as well as looking at options availablefrom UK insurers. Endsleigh Insurance, in associationwith UKCOSA, have produced a special health insurancepolicy for international students and their spouses orcivil partners and children in the UK. This gives you achoice of two levels of cover, either relying on NHStreatment or (for an extra charge) also giving access toprivate treatment. Details of the policy can be found onthe Endsleigh website. There are also policies for shorterstay students. Please contact Endsleigh for furtherdetails (see address list below).
