Where to find a good doctor in London?

London is a major city in a developed country. So it’s quick and easy to get medical attention. However, you don’t always know where to go or how it works. What’s more, like many other foreign countries, healthcare costs can quickly become very expensive. So where and how can you get medical treatment in London? As an expatriate, how are healthcare costs in England covered? Is international health insurance necessary? Mondassur explains everything.

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Public hospitals: the NHS (National Health Service)

The public hospital is undoubtedly the first place you’ll go to, especially in an emergency. If you have a European Health Insurance Card, you’ll be entitled to free treatment. Please note that the UK will be leaving Europe on January 1, 2021. After this date, your European Health Insurance Card will no longer be valid in the UK. If you do not have a card, you will be charged between £60 and £75 for a consultation only. In an emergency or serious case requiring hospitalization, you must go to the nearest hospital emergency department (NHS Urgent Care Centres). It’s important to bear in mind that in such cases, costs will be much higher. That’s why you need to take out international health insurance to cover all your medical expenses. Here are 3 examples of emergency centers:
– Fulham NHS Urgent Care Centre: Fulham Palace Road (Charing Cross tube station); open 24/7
– Guy’s Hospital Urgent Care Centre: Ground floor, Tabard Annexe Great Maze Pond (London Bridge tube); open daily 8am-8pm
– Hammersmith NHS Urgent Care Centre: Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road (East Acton tube); open 24/7
If your needs are not urgent, you can visit an NHS Walk-in Centre. This type of center receives patients without appointment. Here are 2 examples of walk-in centers:
– Soho NHS Walk-in Centre: 1 Frith Street (Tottenham Court Road tube station); open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 8pm
– Parsons Green NHS Walk-in Centre: 5-7 Parsons Green (Parsons Green tube station); open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, weekends and school vacations 9am to 1.30pm.

French-speaking private medical centers

Private medical centers bring together all branches of the health profession: general practitioners, pediatricians, ophthalmologists, dentists and more. London has several of these centers, which are also French-speaking. So if you’re a French expatriate in London, you won’t be faced with a language barrier. What’s more, private medical centers have the advantage of admitting patients more quickly than public hospitals. However, these centers are private, which means that consultations are expensive and not covered by health insurance. For example, a consultation with a GP costs £92 and with a dentist £80. You can present your European Health Insurance Card, but only until December 31, 2020. After that date, the UK will no longer be part of the EU, and your card can no longer be used there. Alternatively, you can take out an international health insurance policy that covers this type of benefit. Mondassur’s Gold’Expat health insurance covers your dental and optical expenses abroad. Here are 3 examples of French-speaking private medical centers in London:
French Medicare Medical Center: 198-200 Earls Court Road (Earls Court subway station); Tel: 020 7370 4999; open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Kensington international Clinic – La Maison Médicale: 2 North Terrace SW3 2BA (South Kensington subway); Tel: 020 7589 9321; open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm
– The medical chambers: 10 Knaresborough Place (Earl’s Court tube station); Tel: 020 7244 4200 with helpline available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and weekends 9am to 3pm; center open Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm, Friday 8am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm.

The private French dispensary

A dispensary is a center staffed by doctors from all fields, where care is provided free of charge most of the time. If the care is free, then it’s a public dispensary. Conversely, a private dispensary provides paid care. However, even if a fee is charged, it is still very affordable and much less expensive than in a private medical center or hospital, for example. London has a single French-speaking private dispensary, Hammersmith, located in the western part of the city. It’s a charitable institution that works with French-speaking volunteer doctors: general practitioners, pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, gynecologists and more. To consult a doctor at the dispensary, you need to take out a “symbolic” annual subscription of £10 per month. Each consultation costs a further £10. The French dispensary is located at 184 Hammersmith Road (Hammersmith, Piccadilly tube station). Tel: 020 8222 8822. Open Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5.30pm and Friday, 9am to 4pm.

Online consultation with a doctor

Over the past few years, the service sector has been evolving rapidly. It is now possible to make an appointment with a doctor online. With the health situation in Covid-19, it’s highly advisable to opt for teleconsultations. There are several applications and websites on the market for online medical appointments, including Findoc, Doctolib and Care.

How can I be covered for visits to the doctor in England?

Once you’ve booked an appointment with the doctor of your choice, you’ll need to get reimbursed for your various medical expenses. Between NHS, Private Medical Insurance – PMI and other international private insurances, you can quickly get lost. At Mondassur, we give you our best advice on how to choose health cover in the UK. As an expatriate, the ideal solution is to opt for health insurance for expatriates. This will cover all your healthcare costs from the 1st euro paid. Our packages are tailored to your needs and your budget. Our advisors are there to guide you and provide you with the right solution, wherever you are in the world.

London pharmacies

Once you’ve made an appointment with a doctor and been given a prescription, you’ll need to visit a pharmacy. As an expatriate, you don’t always know where to go, especially if you’ve just settled in. Here are some London pharmacies on call:
– Bliss Chemist:
o 5-6 Marble Arch (Marble Arch tube); open daily from 9am to midnight.
o 107-109 Gloucester Road (metro Gloucester Road); open Monday to Saturday 9am to 10pm and Sunday noon to 9pm.
– Boots Midnight Pharmacy:
o 75 Queensway (Bayswater tube); open Monday to Saturday, 9am to midnight and Sunday, noon to 6pm
o 44-46 Regent Street (Piccadilly Circus tube station); open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 9 a.m. to midnight and Sunday 12.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
– Pharmacenter: 149 Edgware Road (East Acton metro station); open Monday to Friday 8am to midnight, Saturday 9am to midnight and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
– Warman-Freed Pharmacy: 45 Golders Green Rd (Golders Green metro station); open daily, 8.30am-midnight
– Zafash Pharmacy: 135 Old Brompton Road (Earl’s Court tube station): open 24/7

If you don’t have a prescription but need medication, for mild symptoms for example, you can still get it. In the UK, many medicines are sold over the counter in supermarkets, and can be obtained without a prescription. You can find them at Sainsbury’s or Tesco, for example.

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