Living in Britain

Accommodation

Some hospitals will provide single on-site accommodation for junior doctors, for which you have to pay, but it will be cheaper than finding an alternative on the open market (i.e. privately), which is also likely to be less convenient. Married accommodation, particularly if you have a family, is less likely to be available on the hospital site, but your hospital’s accommodation officer should be able to advise you. It is very important to contact this person as soon as you are appointed to a post, to give as much time as possible to arrange housing. Rents vary in different parts of the country, and tend to be much higher in London and the South-East than in the North and West of the country.

Unless you have definitely decided to stay in one place permanently, it is probably unwise to consider buying a house, as this is a major commitment, and brings with it many complications (mortgage, maintenance, insurance, security, eventual sale of the property), which as a doctor you can probably do without, especially at first.

If you have a television you must have a licence, which is available from the post office. A radio does not require a licence.

Money and Banking

One of the first things you need to do on arrival in Britain is to open a bank account. Branches of all the main banks (e.g. Barclays, Lloyds, National Westminster, HSBC) are found in all major towns, but note that the opening hours are rather inconvenient for most doctors, usually being 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 or— 4.00 p.m. They do not close for lunch, but tend to be busy around that time.

Postal banking services are also available (e.g. First Direct), which allow you to undertake all your banking transactions by post, telephone, fax or on the Internet, and you need never enter a bank building.

It is common sense not to carry large sums of cash around with you habitually; theft occurs in Britain as everywhere else in the world. Always look after your purse or wallet carefully, and do not leave it anywhere, even (or perhaps especially) in an operating theatre changing-room!

Your bank will give you a free cheque-book if you open a 'current account' (which is the normal type of account for everyday use). This is useful for paying out for larger expenses (rent, furniture, utility bills), but more convenient is a credit or debit card. The former (normally either "Visa" or "MasterCard") allows you deferred payment for a month, but if you do not pay the accumulated bill at the end of the month you will be charged a heavy rate of interest on the "loan". A debit card (e.g. "Switch", "Delta" or "Connect") on the other hand takes the money directly out of your account which allows you better control of your finances. Both credit and debit card are normally accepted in all major shops (not markets), which show the card’s logo in their window. There is normally only a tiny rate of interest payable on your balance in a current account, as you are paying for the convenience of easy withdrawal. You can get a higher rate of interest from a deposit account, or a building society, but this ties your money up for a fixed period- ask your bank for advice.

Many banks (and some supermarkets and large hospitals) have 'Automatic Telling Machines' (ATMs) - sometimes colloquially called 'the hole in the wall' – from which you can obtain cash directly at any time of day or night using a card and a personal code number.

Tax

Alas everyone in Britain has to pay tax, and that includes junior doctors in training. Tax is deducted from your salary at source. It includes a deduction for National Insurance, which pays for healthcare, sickness benefit and pension. These are deducted automatically: in some circumstances you may be able to reclaim payments when you leave Britain permanently. You can find out more from an Inland Revenue (tax) office, whose address will be in your local telephone directory.

Keep records of all payments you receive, such as fees for cremation certificates, police statements, lectures, or medical reports. You are required by law to complete an annual Tax Return, and Self-Assessment of your tax liability, although you may find it easier to employ an accountant to help you. Ask your payroll office, or your bank, for advice.

National insurance number

If you do not have a British National Insurance number, you must get one. To get a National Insurance number, you must make an appointment for an "evidence of identity" interview at the nearest Job Centre. This is a government office which can be found in most large towns or city districts. You will need to take proof of identity (such as a passport) as well as evidence that you are working. You can find the nearest office in the telephone directory, or visit http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/ni_number.asp.

Worker registration scheme for accession state doctors

Please note From 1 May 2004, most nationals of the new member states (except Cyprus and Malta) working in the UK will be subject to the Accession State Worker Registration Scheme. Where they are subject to the scheme, they need to register if they plan to work for more than one month for an employer in the UK.

 Please see this link this link for more details. It is the doctor’s responsibility to register as soon he or she starts working.

Visa requirements

Non-EU doctors who do not automatically have the right to work in the UK, will now need a work permit, as no more permit-free training visas are issued. Read our News page for more information.

Transport

A valid EU/EEA driving licence is valid in Britain for up to a year. After this, you should exchange it for a British licence. If you own a car (or motorcycle) registered in Britain, you must have a valid "tax disc" (road fund licence), insurance (either comprehensive or third party), and, if the car is three years old or more, a Ministry of Transport (MoT) Certificate of Roadworthiness. If you car is registered in another EU/EEA country it can be driven freely in Britain.

Your family

In Britain it is a legal requirement to leave children under 14 attended by a responsible adult. If you have young children and both parents are working, you will need to arrange appropriate childcare. Children between 5 and 16 are required by law to attend school, which is free of charge during the time you are training in Britain. Private schools are available for children of all ages, but tend to be expensive in relation to a junior doctor’s salary. 

Below the age of five, nursery school places may be available, but you may have to pay for this 'pre-school' education. Colleagues at your hospital, and your local education authority (look in the telephone directory) will be able to advise you further.

You need to register yourself and your family with a general practitioner when you arrive in Britain. All treatment is free, although some medicines need to be paid for. 

Shopping and Leisure

A good way to meet British people informally outside the hospital environment is to join activities such as a sports club, evening class, choir or drama group. Typically, British people often relax socially over a drink (which does not have to be alcoholic!) in a "pub" (i.e. Public House, or bar). where you can usually also obtain snacks or often a full meal, which is less expensive than in a formal restaurant.

Chinese and Indian restaurants are to be found in all towns in Britain, usually with the option to "take-away" the meal for consumption at home. Many people have video recorders at home, and video lending "libraries" are widespread, allowing you to borrow videos for one or several days for home entertainment.

Speaking English

Employers have a duty to show that candidates can speak and write English well enough. It is therefore a great help if you have some proof of this, such as the Cambridge University Certificate in English or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System, run by the British Council) or the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, an American test).

If English is not your 'mother tongue', you may wish to get some formal tuition. There are numerous Schools of English, which offer a wide variety of courses. Details can be found in local business directories under the heading of "Language Courses and Schools".

We recommend English lessons if you are at all concerned about your ability to speak and write good English. In our experience lack of fluent English is the most important reason that slows down promotion for non English doctors. See our useful links for more details on language tuition.

It is important to note that ALL non-EU doctors are at the moment required to sit the IELTS test. All overseas qualified doctors with the exception of EEA and Swiss nationals (other than the UK) or those with EC rights are required to obtain satisfactory scores in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test.

If you are not required to take the PLAB test you need to obtain a minimum score of 7.0 in each of the 4 academic modules (speaking, listening, writing and reading).

If you are required to take the PLAB test you must obtain an overall score of 7.0 with minimum scores of 7.0 in speaking and 6.0 in reading, writing and listening.

For more information about this, please see follow the link to the General Medical Council’s website

You may also find the following book helpful:

English in Medicine. Glendinning E. and Holmstrom B. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.