Contact Us
Portsmouth English Language School
15-16 Hampshire Terrace,
Portsmouth,
Hampshire,
United Kingdom,
PO1 2QF
02392 736662
info@portsmouthels.co.uk
Or, for your convenience complete our ready made contact form!
Life in the UK
Health in the UK
As an international student you, and any members of your family who have come to the UK with you, may be entitled to free or subsidized treatment in the UK under the National Health Service (NHS). Generally your course needs to be of six months or more in duration to qualify. If you are in the UK for less than six months, you may only receive free emergency treatment on the NHS. However, if you are a national or resident of an EEA (European Economic Area) country, or are studying a full-time course in Scotland, you will receive this benefit regardless of the length of your studies.
Before you travel, you should seek advice from the health authorities in your home country about what treatment will be covered. If you are not entitled to NHS treatment, it is highly recommended that you take out medical insurance before you leave home or as soon as possible after you arrive in the UK.
Registering with a doctor
To receive any kind of treatment through the NHS, you must be registered with a doctor (sometimes called a GP or General Practitioner). It is best to arrange this as soon as possible after you arrive in the UK, once you have a permanent address, as it may delay your treatment if you need to see a doctor and are not registered.
Dental services
If you are eligible for NHS treatment, you can receive your dental treatment at a reduced rate. Once you have registered with a doctor and received your medical card you can register with a dentist. Some dentists only accept private patients, so make sure that the practice accepts NHS patients before you register.
Religion
If you follow a religion and worship regularly at home, then you can continue to do so in the UK. Every major world religion is represented and most cities have Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist centres, as well as synagogues and churches of all denominations. Keeping routine with your faith will provide you with a link to your life at home but can also enable you to develop new friendships quickly. The religious festivals celebrated in the UK reflect its multi-faith culture. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist festivals and holidays are all celebrated.
Food
The food you can buy in the UK reflects the many ethnic influences in the British society. Most supermarkets sell ingredients from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as food from many other parts of the world. The British are becoming increasingly healthy eaters and there is a very wide range of organic produce available in shops and supermarkets. You’ll still find the famous English breakfast and Fish and Chips, but you’ll also see a very diverse range of meals and menus while you’re in the UK.
The British tend to eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch (this is often quite a small meal) and then an evening meal (often called dinner or supper). Tea is still the traditional British hot drink and is usually taken with milk several times a day.
Making friends
Being a student in the UK is not just coursework or doing research but relaxing and having some fun, too. Students can get discounts on many cultural experiences and attractions, and wherever you study you’ll find places to enjoy with friends or by yourself…concerts, walks in the country, museums, cinemas, up-to-the-minute sports facilities, galleries, cafes and castles, gardens, shops and coastline. UK institutions pride themselves on providing great social opportunities for their students, with different societies and groups for different interests. International students always tell us how easily they make new friends from all over the world. Making friends in the UK will really help you improve your English, too.