NHS / GP

Medicine and Healthcare Preparation Checklist for UK Students

A checklist for medication, prescriptions, allergies, an English health summary, GP registration and NHS 111 before and after moving to the UK.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-05 Reading time: About 3 min Risk level: High
International student organising medication, health records and UK healthcare information

Short answer

Bring a reasonable amount of essential medication, keep it in original packaging and check official rules for long-term, controlled or uncertain medicines.

Who this is for

For students with regular medication, allergies, long-term conditions or limited experience using healthcare in the UK.

  • Students bringing medicine to the UK
  • Students with ongoing health needs
  • Families preparing health information

What to prepare

  • Original medication packaging
  • Prescription or doctor letter in English
  • English allergy and medical-history summary
  • University health-support information
  • Local NHS and GP information

Steps

  1. Separate medicine into basic self-care, prescription, long-term and special or controlled categories.
  2. Keep long-term medication in original packaging with the prescription or an English doctor letter.
  3. Check GOV.UK rules if the medicine, quantity or controlled status is unclear.
  4. After arrival, register with a GP using local NHS or university guidance.
  5. Save NHS 111, university health support and emergency contacts.
  6. Families should not direct medication use remotely; serious or uncertain situations need local medical help.

Common pitfalls

  • Removing medicine from original packaging.
  • Bringing a large supply without supporting documents.
  • Having no English allergy or medical summary.
  • Treating GP as emergency care or A&E as routine care.

Official links

Check these sources before making decisions, especially for visa, healthcare, border, deposit and safety topics.

Final checklist

  • Medicine kept in original packaging
  • Long-term medicine supported by prescription or letter
  • Health summary prepared in English
  • GP registration planned
  • NHS 111 and emergency routes saved