How the healthcare system works
NHS is the National Health Service, which provides free accident and emergency treatment to everyone. The service is being paid mostly through taxes. Once you have moved to Scotland, you are required to register as an NHS patient at the nearest medical centre and be assigned to a local Scottish General Practitioner (GP). The documentation you will need to provide depends on your nationality ' see below, section 'Are you entitled to healthcare?' If you are a student, the university will provide you with the name of a nearby GP.
If you come to Scotland having found a job, you will be automatically registered to the NHS by your employer. (This also applies to foreign students making a 6 months stay or more in the country.) If you are self-employed, you will have to apply yourself but note that both your spouse and your immediate family will also be entitled to health care.
In case you have to register yourself, you will have to duly fill and sign an application form at the nearest NHS centre. You will then be entitled to a Medical Card which will contain your personal National Insurance Number (NIN). The NIN is a unique and personal number which will allow you to benefit from health, unemployment and retirement insurance.
Good to know:
You can easily find a General Practitioner near you by visiting the Service Directory of NHS and filtering by area. .
