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No vaccinations are required for entry into Britain. Citizens of all
EU countries and those with a reciprocal health care agreement are
entitled to free medical treatment at National Health Service hospitals.
If you don't fall into either of these categories, you will be charged
for all medical services, in which case health insurance is strongly
advised. Indeed, even though EU health care privileges apply in Britain,
visitors from elsewhere in the EU would also do well to take out an
insurance policy before travelling to cover against theft and loss as
well as illness or injury
Pharmacies and medical emergencies
Pharmacists (known as chemists in Britain) can dispense only a limited
range of drugs without a doctor's prescription. Most pharmacies are open
standard shop hours, though in large towns some may stay open as late as
10pm - local newspapers carry lists of late-opening pharmacies. Doctor
's surgeries tend to be open from about 9am to noon and then for a
couple of hours in the evenings; outside surgery hours, you can turn up
at the casualty department of the local hospital for complaints that
require immediate attention.
For medical advice by phone you can call NHS Direct (tel 0845/4647, ),
who also run an increasing number of drop-in centres (usually
7.30am-9pm) in the bigger towns and cities. In an emergency , call for
an ambulance on 999.
Insurance policies
Before spending out on a new policy, it's worth checking whether you are
already covered: some all-risks home insurance policies , for example,
may cover your possessions against loss or theft when overseas, and many
private medical schemes include cover when abroad, including baggage
loss, cancellation or curtailment and cash replacement as well as
sickness or accident. Canadians will find that they are usually covered
by their provincial health plans, while holders of official student/teacher/youth
cards in Canada and the US are entitled to be reimbursed for accident
coverage and hospital in-patient benefits. Students will often find that
their student health coverage extends during the vacations and for one
term beyond the date of last enrolment. Some bank and credit cards
include certain levels of medical or other insurance and you may
automatically get travel insurance if you use a major credit card to pay
for your trip.
After exhausting the possibilities above, you might want to contact a
specialist travel insurance company , or consider the travel insurance
deal we offer (see above). A typical travel insurance policy usually
provides cover for the loss of baggage, tickets and - up to a certain
limit - cash or cheques, as well as cancellation or curtailment of your
journey. Most of them exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra
premium is paid: in Britain this can mean cliff-diving, rock climbing
and mountaineering. Many policies can be chopped and changed to exclude
coverage you don't need - for example, sickness and accident benefits
can often be excluded or included at will. If you do take medical
coverage, ascertain whether benefits will be paid as treatment proceeds
or only after you return home, and whether there is a 24-hour medical
emergency number. When securing baggage cover, make sure that the per-article
limit - typically under £500 - will cover your most valuable possession.
If you need to make a claim, you should keep receipts for medicines and
medical treatment, and in the event you have anything stolen, you must
obtain an official statement from the police.
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