Registering with the NHS — Guide for Zimbabweans

Registering with an NHS GP (General Practitioner/family doctor) is one of the first things to do when you arrive in the UK. HOW TO REGISTER: (1) Find a GP surgery near your home — use nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp. (2) Visit or call the surgery and ask to register. (3) Fill out a GMS1 registration form. (4) You may be asked for proof of address and ID, but GP surgeries are NOT supposed to ask for immigration documents — everyone in England is entitled to register with a GP regardless of immigration status. If a surgery refuses you, insist or try another surgery. YOUR RIGHTS: If you have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), you are entitled to NHS care on the same basis as a UK resident. Emergency treatment (A&E) is free for everyone regardless of immigration status. GP appointments are free. Prescriptions in England cost £9.90 per item (free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). If you are on low income, you may qualify for an HC2 certificate which gives free prescriptions, dental treatment, and eye tests. DENTAL: NHS dentists are separate from GPs. Finding an NHS dentist accepting new patients can be difficult — many areas have waiting lists. Call practices directly or use the NHS website. Private dental care is available but more expensive. MENTAL HEALTH: You can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies (previously IAPT) for counselling and therapy without needing a GP referral — visit nhs.uk/talk.