Travel Health
If you require Travel Vaccinations, please contact a local pharmacy about travel vaccinations and which vaccines are needed for the country you will be visiting.
Our practice nurses are available by appointment to offer medical advice regarding NHS vaccinations where appropriate. Please telephone reception to book an appointment.
Letter detailing medication/s or pre-existing conditions
If you require a travel certificate or letter detailing any pre-existing illness or proof of medication needed to travel eg: insulin ; controlled drugs ; sharps etc there will be a charge of £60:00 per patient
Fitness to Fly in Pregnancy Letter 
If you are over 28 weeks pregnant, your airline may ask you to get a letter from your doctor stating when your baby is due. 
The doctors at Oakhill Medical Practice are no longer completing fitness to fly in pregnancy forms/letters. GPs are not involved in routine antenatal care in pregnancy and do not always have full access to the midwife clinical notes. Your midwife may be able to help you with the completion of these forms
Non-urgent advice: Private prescriptions for travelling abroad
If you require or request any of the following medications when travelling abroad , this will be issued on a private prescription at a cost of £30:00 each
Anti Malerias: Malerone (or Generic) / Doxycycline
Non-urgent advice: Travel Vaccination Prices
Travel advice is covered by the NHS: or contact a local pharmacy or an online pharmacy.
The following vaccines are funded on the NHS
- Hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis) – first and second/booster dose (6-12 months after first dose)
- Typhoid – first and any booster doses
- Tetanus, diphtheria and polio as given in the Td/IPV vaccine
- Cholera (on prescription)
- MMR (measles)
Please allow 6-8 weeks before travelling for your vaccines, this is to ensure we can get stock in plenty of time as not all travel vaccines are routinely held in stock.
However, some vaccinations and prescriptions are only available privately.
The following vaccines are NOT funded on the NHS (You will need to source some of these privately as we do not offer all of these vaccinations).
- Rabies
- Combined Hepatitis A & B - C
- Hepatitis B
- Japanese B encephalitis
- Meningococcal A, C W & Y
- Tick-borne encephalitis
- Yellow Fever
- Tuberculosis
- Malaria tablets
Malaria prophylaxis -no longer requires a private prescription and other anti-malarials are available over pharmacy counters.
Ciprofloxacin requires a private prescription for which we will charge a “prescribing fee” of £30.00
Payment for non-NHS services must be made in full BEFORE the first travel appointment is made.
Yellow Fever vaccines are NOT available at this surgery - Yellow fever vaccines are only available from designated centres.
Non-urgent advice: Prescriptions when travelling abroad
PRESCRIBING MEDICINES FOR USE OUTSIDE OF THE UK
Antimalarials should not be prescribed on the NHS for prophylaxis” – DoH 1995 (FMSL(95) 7)
Patients should be advised that it is the patient's responsibility to find out if there are any restrictions on taking medicines either prescribed or bought from a pharmacy in and out of the UK or to the country they will be visiting. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website (www.fco.gov.uk) has a full list of foreign embassies in the UK. https://www.nhs.uk/
Under NHS legislation, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for people when they leave the U.K. However, to ensure good patient care the following guidance is offered. People travelling within Europe should be advised to carry the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and everyone should obtain adequate holiday insurance cover.
Medication required for a pre-existing condition should be provided in sufficient quantity to cover the journey and to allow the patient to obtain medical attention abroad. If the patient is returning within the timescale of a normal prescription (usually one month) then this should be issued, providing this is clinically appropriate.
Doctors are clinically and legally responsible for any results of a decision to prescribe medicines. In view of this, it would NOT be considered good clinical practice to prescribe large amounts of medicines to a patient going abroad for an extended period of time and whose progress the GP is unable to monitor. Thus the maximum medication supplied to a patient travelling abroad will be 56 days supply AND that this is only on the understanding that their departure from the UK will be less than 3 months.
Regulation 25, Schedule 5 of NHS (GMS services contracts) regulations 2004 states that “where notification has been received from a patient that they intend to be away from the UK for a period of at least 3 months then they should be removed from the GP practice list and only 28 days supply of medication can be prescribed". The GP practice should notify their local NHS Trust / Health Board. The patient should be advised to register with a local doctor for continuing medication (this may need to be paid for by the patient). It is wise for the patient to check with the manufacturer that medicines required are available in the country being visited.
Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs
Information on carrying medicine containing controlled drugs for individual travellers entering or leaving the uk
uk guidance - controlled drugs personal-licences
If you’re leaving the UK with medicine that contains a controlled drug you should be able to prove it’s yours with either a prescription or letter from your clinician.
Other countries have their own import laws for prescription medicine and controlled drugs.
You could get a fine or go to prison if you travel with medicine that is illegal in another country. Check with the embassy of the country you’re going to before you travel.
Non-urgent advice: Travel Health Advice
Our nurses can provide travel health advice and arrange for appropriate immunisations. Please arrange an appointment for a travel consultation at least 6-8 weeks before departure if possible. Vaccines need time to take effect and some may require a course over several weeks.
Please note; if you require a Yellow Fever Vaccination you will have to arrange this with another Practice.
Select the region you are travelling to find out more.
Non-urgent advice: Further Travel Information
The following websites will give you additional travel advice
Travel Health for information of vaccinations available on NHS
MASTA for private vaccination clinics
Gov.uk for specific country travel advice
EHIC to apply for your free European Health Insurance Card
other sources of travel information
Urgent advice: Medication for Fear of Flying (eg Benzodiazepines)
People sometimes ask the doctor or nurse to prescribe diazepam, or similar drugs like lorazepam, temazepam or clonazepam, for fear of flying or to help sleep during flights.
Diazepam in the UK is a Class C/Schedule IV controlled drug. The following short guide outlines the issues surrounding its use with regards to flying and why the surgery no longer prescribes such medications for this purpose.
People often come to us requesting the doctor or nurse to prescribe diazepam for fear of flying or assist with sleep during flights. Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. There are a number of very good reasons why prescribing this drug is not recommended.
According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (British National Formulary) diazepam is contraindicated (not allowed) for treating phobias (fears). It also states that “the use of benzodiazepines to treat short-term ‘mild’ anxiety is inappropriate.” Your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight. Fear of flying in isolation is not a generalised anxiety disorder.
Although plane emergencies are a rare occurrence there are concerns about reduced awareness and reaction times for patients taking Diazepam which could pose a significant risk to themselves and others due to not being able to react in a manner which could save their life in the event of an emergency on board necessitating evacuation.
The use of such sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at an increased risk of developing a blood clot (Deep Vein Thrombosis - DVT) in the leg or even the lungs. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than 4 hours, the amount of time which has been shown to increase the risk of developing DVT whether in an aeroplane or elsewhere.
Whilst most people find Diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally which can pose a risk on the plane. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law. A similar effect can be seen with alcohol, which has led to people being removed from flights.
Diazepam and similar controlled drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police. The passenger may also need to use a different strategy for the homeward bound journey and/or other legs of the journey
It is important to declare all medical conditions and medications you take to your travel insurer. If not, there is a risk of nullifying any insurance policy you may have.
Given the above we will no longer be providing Diazepam or similar drugs for flight anxiety and instead suggest the below aviation industry recommended flight anxiety courses.
Flight anxiety does not come under the remit of General Medical Services as defined in the GP contract and so we are not obliged to prescribe for this. Patients who still wish to take benzodiazepines for flight anxiety are advised to consult with a private GP.
Before taking medication it is advised that you consider alternative options:
Fit for Travel provides information to help with a fear of flying.
Try distraction by talking with other passengers, watching a film, listening to music or reading.
Tell the cabin crew. Reassurance about routine aircraft sounds and in flight activities can help.
Research shows that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can be helpful for more severe cases. The person identifies what they actually fear and then learns different ways of overcoming it.
Aviation industry recommended flight anxiety courses, for example:
Smart phone meditation or relaxation apps.
Non-urgent advice: Prescriptions for delaying periods while on holiday
This practice will no longer be prescribing Noresthisterone, or other medications, to delay periods for women over the age of 16 going on holiday.
The practice no longer provides prescriptions for this as it is not part of our core contract. In order to carry on delivering safe core services, it has been necessary to stop doing some unfunded work.
We continue to provide a range of women’s health services and of course offer treatment for a range of menstrual problems, such as painful or heavy periods.
Noresthisterone is now available to buy at participating pharmacies.
Please contact them to assess your suitability to take the medication.
The surgery recognizes that patients may wish to delay their periods for various personal reasons, including holidays. However, we must prioritize medical necessity for practice appointments. As this is not a clinically urgent reason for an appointment or request, and the medication is available through private providers our surgery will no longer issue prescriptions for norethisterone or any other medications for the purpose of delaying periods solely for holiday convenience.
Rationale
- Medical Necessity: Norethisterone/medroxyprogesterone are primarily prescribed for menstrual disorders and other significant medical conditions. Its use for delaying periods for non-medical reasons is not considered essential.
- Resource Allocation: The NHS aims to use its resources efficiently to meet the needs of all patients. Prioritising prescriptions for clinically necessary conditions helps maintain this balance.
Alternatives
Patients seeking to delay their periods for holidays are encouraged to use online services that specialize in such requests. These services provide a convenient and regulated way to obtain the medication. You will likely need a blood pressure reading which you can get from a local chemist or by purchasing a machine from a community pharmacy.
Online Pharmacies:
Norethisterone
- LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor
- Superdrug Online Doctor
- Boots Online Doctor (accepts over 16 years old)
- ASDA Online Doctor
- Chemist 4 U Online Doctor
Medroxyprogesterone
Additional online pharmacy options can be found through a simple search for “norethisterone online pharmacy,” or “medroxyprogesterone online pharmacy” where many reputable providers offer this service.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Non-urgent advice: Private Treatment / Surgery Abroad
Planning on having private treatment/surgery in the UK or abroad?
Please be aware that the whole episode of the treatment should be provided by the private provider, i.e. blood tests and other tests, suture removal, dressing changes, routine wound check, prescribing during your episode of private treatment, etc., and the Practice should not be involved in any aspects of this episode of treatment, with the exception of emergency care relating to the treatment.
It is also the private providers responsibility to issue a Fit Note covering the entire anticipated period off work, but if any longer time off is then required when you are no longer under the care of the provider then this would be the practice responsibility.
Non-urgent advice: Traveling to the UK with Medication
When visiting the UK, you can generally bring medications for personal use, but there are rules and restrictions, especially for controlled drugs. It's recommended to carry a letter from your doctor detailing your medications and dosage, and to keep medications in their original packaging. For controlled drugs, you may need a license, especially for supplies exceeding 3 months.
www.gov.uk take-medicine-in-or-out-uk
Gov.uk Guidance travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs
Non-urgent advice: UK nationals who no longer live in the UK
UK nationals who no longer live in the UK
Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.
UK nationals living and working in EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland on or before 31 December 2020 and their family members may be eligible to use NHS services without charge. You may be asked to provide evidence of your residency. Please check with the authorities in the member state in which you reside for further information.
If you are a UK national and move to the EU, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live, or another exemption applies.
You should take out appropriate travel insurance when visiting the UK, as you would when visiting any other country. Any treatment you may have to pay for will be charged at 150% of the national NHS rate.
Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes UK war pensioners, UK government employees, and UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020.
You should check before travelling to the UK whether you qualify for an exemption from charging or will be required to pay for your treatment.
If you return to the UK permanently and you are ordinarily resident, you will be able to access NHS care without charge.
healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU
Page created: 23 September 2021