In case you are ill while you're in the UK, you will need to register with your local doctor's surgery or health centre. This is free as part of the National Health Service (NHS), which is paid for through our income tax system.

You should register with a doctor as soon as you get the chance. Doctors who work in these practices, rather than in hospitals, are called GPs (General Practitioners). Each surgery has at least one GP, plus practice nurses and they also work with other health professionals such as mental health nurses, midwives and health visitors.

This means that there are lots of situations when your GP surgery can help - so it should usually be the first place you call if you have a health problem. However, if your illness needs emergency treatment you must go to your local Accident & Emergency centre (also known as 'A&E') rather than see your General Practitioner.

So that you can register with a doctor, find out where there is a practice near you on the NHS Direct website.

NHS Services

Near the bottom of the home page is a search facility which looks for different NHS services near you. Type in your postcode in the UK, select 'GPs', click 'go' and a list of all your local doctors will appear. Not only will it tell you the doctor or surgery name, but also their address, phone number and distance from your house.

If you click on the surgery names, you can find more detailed information, such as opening times and a map showing their location. There are even graphs showing customer feedback ' so you can make sure the surgery you're looking at has plenty of happy patients!

Registering

Once you've decided which one suits you the best, you need to make sure that they have the capacity to take you on as a patient. If you click on the menu option on the left of the screen which says 'need to register?', the website will tell you if the practice is taking new patients, but the safest way to find out if you can register is to phone the surgery. You'll find they will want you to come in, fill in a form, and do a check-up to ensure you are in good health. You may have to make an appointment at another time for the check-up.

Note: You can only register with a doctor which serves the area where you live. So you can't for example choose a GP that your friends recommend, or one that is close to where you work.

Once you've signed up with a GP, you can then call them in the unlucky event that you're ill.

Appointments

Different doctors work in different ways. Some practices offer a system where you can just go along to your surgery and wait for the doctor to become available. But others expect you to make an appointment for a specific time. Unfortunately, because of the number of patients at inner city practices, it can sometimes take up to a week to get an appointment with your GP.

So if you have a problem that means you need to be seen straight away (but is not an emergency) tell the receptionist when you call the surgery and ask if you can get a last-minute appointment. Often surgeries do hold some time-slots free every day for this purpose.

Your doctor or the practice nurse can help with many common illnesses, pains, and addictions and if not, will refer you to a specialist. If you need medication, you will be given a prescription, which you need to take to a pharmacy.

Walk-in Centres

If you still have no luck getting an appointment with your own doctor when you need one, you may be able to go to a local 'walk-in centre' instead. These are a relatively new introduction to the UK, but there are now 83 around the country, open 7 days a week.

They are staffed by nurses who can offer treatment and advice on many non-emergency health problems and you can just wait for your turn rather than making an appointment. But they are often busy so you may have to wait several hours.

You can find out if you have a walk-in centre near you by visiting the NHS Direct website. Use the same search facility as for doctors, but select 'walk-in centres' instead.

Contact Options

The NHS Direct website also offers a self-help guide  which can sometimes work out what your illness is by asking a series of questions. This might help save you time going to the doctors if it turns out you can treat your problem with a trip to the local pharmacy.

If you are still unsure of whether to go to a doctor, the pharmacy, a walk-in centre, or even the A&E department, you can also call NHS Direct, 24 hours a day, and get advice on your specific situation.

Call them on 0845 4647 ' this will only be at the cost of a local call if you use a landline. Beware, though, if you call them from a mobile, you will be charged at your standard call rate and that this and other numbers beginning with 0845 are not included in 'free-minutes'.


By Matt Taylor

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KEY WORDS

Parts of the Body

You have one on each hand = thumbs
Two parts of your mouth = lips
You hear with these = ears
Your teeth grow in them = gums
The middle part of your arm = elbow
The part under your foot = sole
A joint in the middle of your leg = knee
The part below your mouth = chin
The soft part below your waist = stomach
It holds up your head = neck
The row of bones down the centre of your back = spine
You put your watch round it = wrist
You have one of each side of your face = cheeks
The flap that comes down over your eye when you sleep = eyelid
The holes in your nose = nostrils
The front part pf your lower leg = shins
The part of your face above your eyes = forehead
The front part of your neck = throat

USEFUL PHRASES

'What's the problem'? Check you know the meanings!

I've got a:
cold / cough / sore throat / temperature / pain in my side / rash on my chest / bruise on my leg / black eye / lump on my arm

I've got:
stomach ache / chest pains / earache / spots / indigestion / diarrhoea / painful joints / blisters / sunburn

I feel:
sick / dizzy / breathless / shivery / faint / particularly bad at night

I am:
depressed / constipated / tired all the time

I've lost my:
appetite / voice

GRAMMAR SPOT

Obligation Verbs

Use should + verb or ought to + verb to say what you think is the right thing to do (to give advice or suggestions):

You should take paracetamol and rest.
He ought to take two days off work.

Use mustn't + verb to talk about prohibition:

She mustn't eat for 24 hours before her operation.
You mustn't worry, it's not too serious.

Use need to + verb and have to + verb to talk about obligations:

You need to come back and see me in a week.
You have to take this prescription to the pharmacy to get your medication.