"911" in England is 999 on landlines, and 112 from mobile phones. Cambridge's main hospital
(with an emergency care unit) is Addenbrooke's.
- Registration -
As a UK resident for more than 6 months, you will be eligible for the National Health Service
(NHS), which is Britain's government-run healthcare system. You'll have to register with a
private practice; your college will give you information about where and when you can do that.
You can expect to get the same coverage that you would get at MIT Medical. - Meningitis and BSE -
Meningitis has received special attention in the UK. The main symptoms are a stiff neck,
headache, nausea, and septicemia (a rash from blood poisoning). If concerned, talk to your
doctor before going to the UK. However, by MIT's requirements, you should have already been
inoculated. Check out www.meningitis.org for more information.
BSE, or "mad cow disease", generated notoriety for British beef in the past several years.
Randomly selected beef samples are tested for BSE, so that statistically speaking, you can eat
beef in the UK with minimal risk. - Insurance -
Once you have registered with a physician in Cambridge, you are covered by NHS. However,
the CME office recommends that you continue your coverage by MIT Medical or other health
insurance in the US. MIT Extended Insurance, for one, ensures that you have emergency care in
the UK, which is more reliable than NHS in extreme circumstances. It also gives worldwide
coverage, so you don't have to worry if you travel.