My medical experience in the UK with tips

It is a bit embarrassing, but I have been to the hospitals more than ten times in Belfast and Cardiff.

Not sure whether other international students in the UK could have such rich experience in talking to GP and staying in the hospitals overnight. Even last week, I went to a pharmacy again to see a doctor for my physical injuries.

Usually, if I don't expect quick treatment, I would call GP in the morning and book appointments with the doctor. I would never call them on Mondays as there would always be a long cue.?

Once in Belfast, I got vertigo at home, and everything was spinning. The only thing I could do was to call someone to pick me up and go to the hospital. Luckily, I was sent to A&E (emergency department) and got a relevant body check. However, I had to stay in the hospital for more than 8 hours. If I left in the middle, I had to retake a cue. That day, I made an English joke by myself ''Patients need to be patient''.

On the other hand, I also understood why it takes patients long hours to stay in the waiting room. As so-called free medical services as part of the benefits for British people, there is no reason that they should visit private hospitals. Also, I asked one of the elderly patients about the difference between a public hospital and a private hospital. She said that the significant difference was the speed. Local people only go to the private hospital to speed up the services for an urgent checks. Apart from that, the infrastructures in public hospitals tend to be more updated and modern.

Gradually, I figured out the medical system in the UK.

• I always check the medical terms before talking to a doctor, so I can clearly describe my symptoms to ensure I get the right prescription. Then I will pick up the free medicine from the local pharmacy by using the medication from the GP.
• If just minor issues, I wouldn't bother going to A&E as you couldn't expect how long you have to breathe the hospital air. The typical solution to our problems from the doctors is usually taking painkillers or different painkillers.
• If I move to a new flat, the first thing I have to do is to register my identification with a GP that is close to my apartment. It is like a must-having ticket to the public hospital. Unfortunately, I'm in an awkward situation now as my previous GP removed my name from their lists. At the same time, I couldn't register a new GP because I am now moving to a temporary flat.
• Don't call an ambulance unless you have serious problems such as a heart attack or some accidents that make you hardly survive. Otherwise, it may waste the precious resources that other patients may urgently need. In addition, it would take a long time to wait for the ambulance as the medical staff diagnose your problems are not that urgent.
• Please take time to learn how we should deal with emergencies in life. Especially as an international student in foreign countries, the only and the first person who can help you is yourself. We cannot expect someone to show up instantly when something happens to us all of a sudden.
• Learn to be patient as a patient. Waiting is a normal phenomenon in the UK. You won't be a qualified patient until you learn to wait. That's why most people bring books and laptops to the hospital.
• We are not allowed to see our medical records from the doctor. Because of confidentiality, I got rejected each time I asked for my results, such as blood tests or other documents in the hospital. However, if we want to know the figure or some indicators, we can ask the doctor to write it down. I have tried it many times. It works for me perfectly.