Local healthcare
How to find healthcare near Goldsmiths and register with a GP/doctor.
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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 (General Practitioner)/doctor right away.
Goldsmiths has partnered with 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 find one on the NHS website. 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 out 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’s usually quicker to visit this clinic rather than your doctor. You do not need to be registered.
Information for trans/non-binary students.
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). The NHS provides a wide range of services including appointments with a GP/doctor, hospital treatment and dental care.
It is important that you register with a GP/doctor as soon as you arrive.
If you have a pre-existing health condition, you should discuss with your doctor at home whether treatment for this condition will be covered by the NHS or if you will need private medical insurance.
If you are studying in the UK for six months or more
If you are applying for a student visa and coming to the UK for six months or longer you will be required to pay an immigration health surcharge as part of your visa application fee.
You will be entitled to free NHS healthcare as part of the immigration health surcharge.
If you are studying in the UK for less than six months
If you apply for your visa from overseas and it is granted for less than six months, or you will make occasional visits to the UK for short study periods, you will need to pay for any NHS healthcare you receive, apart from some free services such as accident and emergency treatment, sexual health, and Covid-19 tests and treatment.
As such, you are advised to get private medical insurance for your stay before you arrive.
Private medical insurance
If you are undertaking short periods of study in the UK you are advised to take out private medical insurance.
If you are applying for a student visa, you cannot take out private medical insurance as an alternative to paying the health immigration surcharge as this is a mandatory fee included as part of your visa application.
It is a personal decision whether you choose to take out private healthcare insurance. You may wish to consider this to cover the following potential health-related costs:
- Loss of fees if you are unable to complete your course
- Costs incurred returning to your home country for treatment
- Private medical treatment
If you already have medical insurance in your home country, you may want to check whether this can be extended to cover your stay in the UK.
EU Settlement Scheme
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who are granted a status under the EU Settlement Scheme are entitled to use NHS services for free if ordinarily resident in the UK. Students living and studying in the UK are normally considered to be ordinarily resident.
If you are from an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you can find more information on the UK government website.
Irish nationals are entitled to free NHS healthcare.
You can read more about the UK medical system on the UKCISA website.