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Health care in Scotland for holidaymakers from overseas
If you are coming to Scotland on holiday, this factsheet tells you
about health care you may be able to get free from the NHS if
you become ill or have an accident.
- In Scotland, most health care is provided by the National Health Service (NHS).
- If you are coming to Scotland on holiday or to visit friends or relatives, you may have to pay for any health care you need while you are here and should get travel insurance with medical cover before your trip.
- This section tells you about the health care you may be able to get free from the NHS if you become ill or have an accident.
Can I get free NHS care while I am on holiday in Scotland?
- Yes, some health care services are free for everyone. These include:
- emergency care in a hospital (in the accident and emergency department or in the casualty department)
- emergency care at a GP surgery (in Scotland, family doctors are called General Practitioners or GPs)
- emergency transport in an ambulance
- sexual health services
- treatment for some infectious diseases and sexually transmitted infections.
- If you need other health care, NHS staff will ask you to show them some documents to help them decide if you can be treated as an NHS patient.
Page last edited: 28 April 2010