Accessing the NHS: what’s covered and what are the challenges?

Accessing the NHS: what’s covered and what are the challenges?

The National Health Service (NHS) has provided publicly funded, free-for-all healthcare services at the point of delivery since 1948. You will be eligible to access this world-famous service if you’re an “ordinarily resident” in the UK, which according to the NHS “means you must be living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being. You may be asked for evidence of this.”

With your eligibility sorted and registration complete, what services can you expect to access? The NHS offers a comprehensive range of services that fall into three broad categories: primary care, secondary care, and tertiary services.

• Primary care: This first point of contact in the NHS healthcare system includes general practitioners (GPs), dentists, opticians, and pharmacies.
• Secondary care: Services that generally require a referral from a GP. This also includes emergency services and out-of-hours services.
• Tertiary services: This covers specialised treatment that requires expert medical professionals and advanced technology, like neurosurgery, secure forensic mental health services, and heart surgery.

Primary care access: challenges

Accessing some primary care services can present challenges typically linked to demand outstripping capacity and financial viability for service providers. This is emphasised by NHS dentistry, which according to research by the BBC has a stark shortage of services:

• Nine in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK were not accepting new adult patients for treatment under the NHS.
• In a third of the UK’s more than 200 council areas, no dentists were taking on adult NHS patients.
• Eight in 10 NHS practices were not taking on children.
• Encouragingly, access was best in London, where almost 25% of practices were accepting new adult NHS patients.

Most NHS dentists are independent businesses, meaning they are not directly employed by the NHS. This allows them to reduce their NHS commitments if the arrangement doesn’t suit them, creating a shortage of services.

NHS vs private medical insurance

While you might encounter hurdles when attempting to access some NHS services, the benefits of this publicly funded healthcare system compared to private medical insurance are compelling – from covering pre-existing conditions to including emergency services.

There is no exclusion for pre-existing conditions under the NHS, unlike some private health insurance policies. Whether you need ongoing treatment, medication, or specialist care, the NHS will cover it, regardless of when the condition was first diagnosed. This universal coverage is a key feature of the NHS, ensuring that all residents have access to healthcare regardless of their medical history.

The NHS provides comprehensive emergency medical services as part of its public healthcare coverage. This includes access to accident and emergency departments, ambulance services, urgent care centres, and emergency treatment at hospitals without any direct cost to the patient at the point of use. While some private health insurance policies may offer limited coverage for emergency treatment, most focus on elective procedures, specialist consultations, and planned surgeries.

Consult with Simply London

Our comprehensive settling-in service includes helping you register with essential health requirements like a GP and the NHS – so you can focus on integrating into life in London.  Contact us today to find out all the ways we can help.

Testimonials

I had no experience with the rental market and I definitely couldn’t have found my home without Simply London, the piece of mind I got knowing the team were looking out for my best interests was priceless to me. After securing my home they assisted me in setting up utilities and many other necessary things that I can’t imagine I would have had time to do so efficiently. – Misty S. 

I cannot recommend Simply London enough! My family and I moved here over the summer, and Nikki has made the entire process easy and seamless. She helped us find and secure a home in an amazing neighbourhood, as well as help us navigate the whole school system. It’s been so nice to have someone in our corner that we can turn to for questions and guidance. 110% worth it! – Jennifer S. 

Article published 22nd August 2024