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Coming into hospital

Overseas visitors

Information for overseas visitors seeking treatment in our hospitals

Are you visiting England from abroad? Did you know that you may have to pay for hospital treatment while you are here?

The National Health Service (NHS) provides free hospital treatment for people who live in the United Kingdom. To access free healthcare, you need to live lawfully within the UK. Visit Gov.uk for more information on who can access free healthcare.

If you are an overseas visitor, you will need to pay before any treatment is given (except in the emergency department).

Please note: As an overseas visitor, your information may be shared with government agencies such as the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Do I need to pay for healthcare?

The following links provide useful information on free healthcare in the UK, including who is entitled and who may need to pay.

Contact the overseas visitors team

If you wish to speak directly to a member of the team, please contact:

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Help us keep everyone safe this winter

We’re asking everyone to please help protect our patients, visitors and employees during the winter months.

If you’re feeling unwell, please don’t visit our hospitals - even for appointments or to see loved ones, unless it’s in exceptional circumstances such as end-of-life care or maternity.

Colds, flu, Covid and norovirus (sickness and diarrhoea) can spread easily and cause serious illness in vulnerable patients.

Please only come in once you’ve been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours.

When you do visit:

 Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe this winter.