Local Healthcare, doctor and GP
How to find healthcare near Goldsmiths and register with a doctor/GP.
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For advice about Covid-19, including what to do if you are experiencing symptoms, please visit the NHS website.
Registering with a GP
When you arrive at Goldsmiths it’s important to register with a GP right away.
Goldsmiths has partnered with the Amersham Vale Medical Practice to provide medical services to Goldsmiths students. They are a five minute walk from campus.
The practice is based in the Waldron Health Centre, Amersham Vale, London, SE14 6LD. It provides a full range of services including a mental health service, travel health service and immunisations (including meningitis, measles, mumps and rubella).
If you would like to register with a different GP you can use the NHS Choices Service Search to find one. Our Wellbeing Advisers can also advise you on how to register.
Medical help
It's important to know where to turn if you require medical assistance. The NHS website offers more advice on using the right service.
If you feel unwell outside of surgery hours
Your local pharmacy can offer expert advice on a range of minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, sore throats and aches and pains. Pharmacists are medically trained and can let you know if you should speak to your doctor, a nurse or other healthcare professional.
If you are worried about your health but it isn’t an emergency, NHS 111 is available to get you the right attention fast. To get help, you can call 111 or go to 111.nhs.uk. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If there's a medical emergency
In a medical emergency, call 999 or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department. A medical emergency is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. You can find more about when to call 999 on the NHS website.
Sexual Health Clinic
The Waldron Health Centre, in which the Amersham Vale Practice is based, provides a sexual health walk-in service, including the provision of contraception. It offers a confidential service and it is usually quicker to visit this clinic rather than your doctor. You do not need to be registered.
Dentists
You can find your nearest dentist on the NHS website.
It’s important to note that not all dental practices provide NHS treatment. If you are entitled to receive NHS treatment you should check whether your chosen surgery accepts NHS patients before agreeing to any treatment.
If you are entitled to NHS treatment you may still have to contribute to the cost of any dental work. If you do not qualify for NHS treatment, or the dentist you choose does not accept NHS patients, you will need to pay for the full cost of your treatment.
International Students
Public healthcare in the UK is provided by the National Health Service (NHS) and may work differently to the system in your home country.
If you are from a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are currently entitled to free NHS healthcare – please ensure you order your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from your home country and bring it with you to the UK.
Hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments will treat all patients who require emergency care free of charge, however, you will have to pay for any follow-up treatment as a private patient.
You can read more about the UK medical system on the UKCISA website.
If you are studying in the UK for six months or less
If you are studying in the UK for six months or less and you have a short-term study visa, you will need to pay for any NHS healthcare you receive.
Private healthcare is also available in the UK and providers offer different packages – you are advised to get private medical insurance before you travel to the UK if you need this cover.
If you are studying in the UK for more than six months
If you are from outside the EEA or Switzerland and will be studying on a Tier 4 student visa for six months or more, you will be entitled to free NHS healthcare as part of the immigration health surcharge you are asked to pay during your visa application.
You may also wish to consider taking out insurance to cover you for other medical-related costs that are not covered by the NHS. You can also purchase private medical insurance after you arrive in the UK.