Hospitals in London
What to do if you get very sick while visiting London
In an emergency, call tel. 999 for an ambulance.
In a non-emergency, you can call the NHS medical advice helpline at tel. 111.
Also handy: British chemists (pharmacies), which tend to have more leeway in distributing medications that in the U.S.
Aren't U.K. hospitals free?
Yes, the U.K. famously has the National Health Service (www.nhs.uk) providing free healthcare....
...to its own citizens.
About a decade ago, tired of medical tourism (foreigners coming to the U.K. for free treatment), Britain passed laws forcing non-citizens to pay for and non-emergency healthcare received in the U.K. (Note: I am speaking mainly to my fellow Americans and our Canadian neighbors here. Citizens of most E.E.A. countries in Europe can use their EHIC cards in Britain, and residents of New Zealand and Australia can also get free health care in the U.K. thanks to governmental reciprocal health care agreements.)
However, in an emergency, you can still get treated for free—so long as your care and treatment is limited to the Accident and Emergency department of a hospital run by the National Health Service.
Hospitals in London
For 24-hour emergency care, go to the closest of the following:
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT
- University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road (near Warren St. and Euston Square). Tel. (0)20 3456 7890; Uclh.nhs.uk. Tube: Warren Street Station (Northern, Victoria) or Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan)
THE CITY
- St. Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield (just N of the Holborn Viaduct). Tel. (0)20 3416 5000, Bartshealth.nhs.uk. Tube: St. Pauls (Central) of Barbican (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan)
NORTH OF HYDE PARK
- University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road (near Warren St. and Euston Square). Tel. (0)20 3456 7890; Uclh.nhs.uk. Tube: Warren Street Station (Northern, Victoria) or Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan)
- Royal Free Hospital, 11 Pond Street (off Haverstock Hill in Hampstead). Tel. (0)20 7794 0500; Royalfree.nhs.uk. Tube: Belsize Park (Northern)
- St. Mary's Hospital, Praed Street (flanking Paddington Station to the east). Tel: 020 3312 6666, imperial.nhs.uk. Tube: Paddington (Circle, Hammersmith & City).
EAST OF HYDE PARK
- University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road (near Warren St. and Euston Square). Tel. (0)20 3456 7890; Uclh.nhs.uk. Tube: Warren Street Station (Northern, Victoria) or Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan)
SOUTWARK
- St. Thomas', Westminster Bridge Road (just across the Thames from Parliament, between Westminster Bridge and Lambeth Bridge). Tel. 020 7188 7188, Guysandstthomas.nhs.uk. Tube: Lambeth North (Bakerloo) or Westminster (Circle, District, Jubilee).
- Guy's Hopsital, Great Maze Pond (just S of London Bridge). Tel. 0207 1887188, Guysandstthomas.nhs.uk. Tube: London Bridge (Jubilee, Northern)
Walk-in centres
You can also use any of a number of private walk-in clinics—though you will be charged:
- Victoria railway station
(Platform 15)
Mon-Fri 8am–8pm, Sat-Sun 10am–4pm - Waterloo railway station
(1st floor)
Mon-Fri 8am–6pm - Plaza medical centre
120 Oxford Street
Mon-Sat 10–7pm - Bank Medicentre
1-6 Old Jewry Street
Mon-Fri 8am–7pm - Fenchurch Street Medicentre
150 Fenchurch Street
Mon-Fri 8am–4pm
Consider travel health insurance
For anything else, I suggest some good travel health insurance. » more
- Squaremouth.com - This aggregator is like an online personal shopper, canvassing 22 independent travel insurance providers based on your criteria and showing you all the results at once so you can quickly compare plans and pick an insurer.Partner
- Insuremytrip.com - This aggregator is like an online personal shopper, canvassing 25 independent travel insurance providers based on your criteria and showing you all the results at once so you can quickly compare plans and pick an insurer.Partner
- Worldnomads.com - A top travel insurer, covering the entire world. Especially good for adventure travel.Partner
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