GlobeQuest
Health🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom

NHS & healthcare (after the IHS)

You almost certainly already paid for the NHS through the IHS on your visa, which gives you free NHS care from the day your visa starts. The single most useful thing to do is register with a local GP (free, no insurance, no proof of address needed) — that is your gateway to the whole system. Use 111 for urgent-but-not-emergency advice and 999 only for genuine emergencies. Most care is free; prescriptions in England carry a flat charge.

Total cost
GP care, A&E, hospital treatment and 111/999 calls are free at the point of use — already covered by the IHS you paid. In England, prescriptions cost a flat £9.90 per item (frozen for 2026/27), though around 90% of items are dispensed free; dental and optical care are charged separately.
Time needed
Registering with a GP takes about 20 minutes, with confirmation usually within a few days. NHS access itself begins the day your visa starts.
Validity
NHS access lasts as long as your visa (with the IHS paid) remains valid; it renews automatically when you extend your visa and pay the IHS again. Your GP registration and NHS number persist — update your surgery if you move out of its catchment area.
Verified
June 2026
High confidence·Anyone who paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of their visa — almost all work and family visa holders. You have already pre-paid for the NHS, so this guide is about turning that into actual care: registering with a local GP, getting an NHS number, and knowing 111 from 999.

Before you start

  • A visa with the IHS paid (NHS access starts from your visa start date)
  • A UK address within a GP surgery's catchment area (you do not need to prove it)
  • Nothing else — you do not need private insurance, an NHS number in advance, or your immigration documents to register

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Confirm your NHS access is unlocked by the IHS

    If you paid the Immigration Health Surcharge with your visa, you can use the NHS free of charge from the date your visa starts — no separate enrolment. You do not need to show proof of IHS payment to anyone; a GP surgery will not ask for it.

    OnlineWho: YouFrom your visa start dateAlready paid as part of the visa (IHS, commonly £1,035/yr)
  2. 2

    Register with a local GP surgery

    Find a GP surgery near you on the NHS website and register — online, by phone or in person. It is free and takes about 20 minutes. Per the NHS, you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status to register, though a surgery may ask for ID; you cannot be refused for not having it.

    OnlineWho: You~20 minutes; registration confirmed within daysFree
  3. 3

    Get and keep your NHS number

    Once registered, you are assigned a unique NHS number that follows you across the health service. You can view it via the NHS App or ask your GP. Keep it handy for appointments, referrals and prescriptions, but you do not need it to register in the first place.

    Mobile appWho: YouIssued after GP registrationFree
  4. 4

    Learn 111 vs 999 (and the NHS App)

    Call 111 (or use 111 online) for urgent medical help that is not life-threatening — it directs you to the right service. Call 999 only for genuine emergencies (chest pain, serious bleeding, loss of consciousness). Download the NHS App to book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions and see records.

    Mobile appWho: YouAs neededFree (111 and 999 calls are free)

Documents you’ll need

  • Passport or visa/eVisa (helpful but not required to register with a GP)
  • Your UK address (to find the right catchment surgery)
  • NHS number once issued (for appointments and prescriptions)

Things most newcomers don’t know

You already paid for the NHS via the IHS — register with a GP day one.

The Immigration Health Surcharge bundled into your visa gives free NHS care from your visa start date. The value only materialises once you register with a GP, so do it in your first week rather than waiting until you are ill.

Source: GOV.UK — pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application

GP registration needs no proof of address or immigration status.

The NHS states plainly that you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status to register. A surgery may ask for ID but cannot refuse you for not having it — so the bank-account catch-22 does not block your healthcare.

Source: NHS — register with a GP surgery

Use 111 before 999 — and before A&E — for urgent but non-emergency issues.

111 (free, 24/7, phone or online) triages you to the right place and can book slots, easing pressure on A&E. Save 999 for genuine emergencies. Knowing the difference gets you faster care and avoids long waits.

Source: NHS — when to use 111

Most care is free, but English prescriptions carry a flat charge.

GP visits, hospital and emergency care cost nothing at the point of use, but each prescription item in England is £9.90 (2026/27). If you need several regularly, an NHS Prepayment Certificate (PPC) caps the total — worth setting up.

Source: NHS — prescription charges

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Waiting until you are ill to register with a GP, then facing a delay when you need care
  • Thinking you must show proof of IHS payment to a GP — you do not, and they will not ask
  • Defaulting to A&E or 999 for non-emergencies instead of calling 111 first
  • Assuming all NHS care is free and being surprised by the per-item prescription charge in England

Make it your personal checklist

Globe Quest turns this into a tracked, AI-personalized plan for London — timed to your move date, with reminders so nothing slips. Free to start.

Sources

Last verified June 2026. Government processes change — always confirm critical details against the official source before acting.

More on settling into London

Legal & ID
Visa, eVisa & proving your status
Driving
Driving in the UK & exchanging your licence
Banking
Opening a bank account
Telecom
Getting a UK SIM & mobile plan
Tax
Income tax, PAYE & National Insurance
London guideCost of livingLanguageCulture