6.0
Medical
6.1
Practical Advice
6.2
Hospitals
6.3
Maternity
6.4
Baby and Child Care
6.5
Services for Children/Young People
6.6
Private Healthcare
6.7
Emergency child/homecare Services
6.8
Alternative health therapy
6.9
Dental treatment
6.10
Medicines
6.11 Contact
Lenses
6.0
Medical
You and members of your family living
with you in the U.K. are eligible to receive medical
treatment under the National Health Service. You must
register with a National Health Service General
Practitioner (GP or doctor.) A GP administrator will
take your details and give the name of the GP under whom
you are registered. Treatment under the NHS or by a GP
is normally free.
6.1
Practical Advice
The first step is to register and arrange
to see a doctor, often called general practitioner (GP).
You usually cannot go directly to a specialist without a
reference from your GP. It is not normal practice for a
GP to have emergency room facilities. In cases of
emergency you are expected to go to hospital. Check the
location of your nearest hospital with a casualty
department. Bear in mind that most private hospitals do
not have accident and emergency departments.
A list of local doctors can be found at:
your local health centre, the public library, town hall,
Dept. of Health, and the Citizens Advice Bureau. If you
phone Grampian Health Board at +44 (0) 1224 663456 and
ask for primary care, they can tell you which GPs are in
your area. Alternatively you can visit the website:
www.upmystreet.com . When you type in your postcode,
you will get the medical centre nearest where you live
(Go to Essentials, your health). You will need the
passport of each family member in order to complete an
NHS form at the GP surgery.
If you or someone you care for are unwell
and the surgery is closed, and you feel you can't wait
until it reopens, you contact NHS 24, tel. 08454 242424.
A nurse adviser will assess the situation and advise on
what you should do next or may forward you to your local
NHS Board's out of hours Services.
For emergencies dial 999 or go to the
nearest accident and emergency department of your local
hospital.
If you have any questions related to
health or health care, the Health Information Service is
a national free phone network (0800 66 55 44). It can
help callers to take better care of themselves and
others, to make better use of NHS services, and to know
more about their rights and health care options. The
service is open from at least 10.00am to 5.00pm Monday
to Friday. Calls are answered by skilled, fully trained
information staff, who work to the highest standards and
have access to a wide range of information sources.
There is an Accident & Emergency Unit at
the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary at Forrester Hill.
Aberdeen. For children under 14 you need to go to the
Accident &Emergency Unit of Aberdeen Children's Royal
Infirmary.
6.2
Hospitals
There are good hospitals in Aberdeen. The
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary provides a complete range of
medical and research facilities, which includes Aberdeen
Maternity hospital. Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital,
provides acute and community child
health services. There is also a very good
private hospital, the Albyn Hospital.
6.3
Maternity
> NHS
patients
First go to your GP. He/she or the midwife will
supervise you through your pregnancy for the first 6-7
months and then refer you to the obstetric staff of your
nearest maternity hospital.
> Privately
insured patients
Maternity care is not covered
by British Private Insurers. You should first see your
GP who will supervise your pregnancy or refer you to an
obstetrician. Check with your insurance carrier for
details of your coverage.
> Anti-natal
classes
Are organized by local health
centres or the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).
> Delivery
At home is possible, but is
not yet very common.
See our comprehensive guide, Maternity
Care in Aberdeen.
Written in August 2008, this covers antenatal classes,
hospital/midwife procedures,
registration of birth and
where to buy maternity/baby clothes.
6.4
Baby and Child Care
Depending on the length of hospital stay,
the midwife or health visitor will check on the mother's
and baby's progress for the first 10 days. Thereafter,
appointments are made with the baby clinic at your
health centre. All baby check-ups and vaccinations are
done at the baby clinic. When arriving from abroad make
sure that you have the child's vaccination card.
6.5
Services for Children/Young People
Child health care is free up to 16 years.
It is also free for young people who are under 19 years
provided they are still in full-time education. The
health care includes free medicine under NHS
prescription, NHS dental treatment for any course of
treatment that starts before the 19th
birthday, NHS sight tests, NHS wigs and fabric supports.
It is also possible to obtain vouchers towards the cost
of glasses or contact lenses.
6.6
Private Healthcare
If you wish to receive private health
care outside the NHS, it is advisable to take out
medical insurance (BUPA, PPP) to cover your expenses.
You still require to be registered with a GP if you opt
for private health care; you cannot see a consultant
privately without a referral from a GP. Generally there
is a considerable reduction in waiting time if you see a
consultant privately.
6.7
Emergency child/homecare Services
If you have need of emergency childcare (perhaps you want the luxury of house hunting in peace) you can contact Margaret McMenemy of My Family Care at m.mcmenemy@myfamilycare.co.uk. She has a register of police checked carers who are able to provide emergency child care. You can also book emergency homecare for elderly parents through My Family Care. Shell will pay for the initial consultation but all childcare/adult care costs are borne by you. A Shell employee number is needed to activate this service. For further information on the services they offer visit:
www.myfamilycare.co.uk/shell
6.8
Alternative health therapy
Aberdeen offers a wide range of
alternative health care therapists, including
acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy and aromatherapy.
6.9
Dental treatment
Is free for those under 18 years and for expectant
and nursing mothers. Anyone else is charged in accordance with
the NHS scale. Private dental care is also available, but it
may not be covered by your medical insurance. There is a (private)
dentist in the Shell Tullos office, who will also treat family
members of Shell staff. To request the forms for NHS Dental
please call Grampian Dental advice: 08454565990.
6.10
Medicines
A wide range of medicines is available.
You need a prescription from the doctor (GP) for most
kinds of medication. Some drugs, such as Aspirin and
Paracetamol, are sold "over the counter", but you
require a prescription for antibiotics and
suppositories. Sometimes medicines are available under
different names in different countries. If you need
special medicines, it is advisable to check if they are
available before you come to Aberdeen. Medicines are
free for those under 16 years of age, pregnant women and
those who have had a baby in the last 12 months. Others
have to pay a fixed prescription charge.
6.11
Contact Lenses
All kinds of contact lenses and a full
range of cleaning solutions are available. Routine eye
testing and prescriptions for glasses are subsidized by
the NHS. Since last year, eye tests in Scotland are
free.
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