Things you should know before your start

As you plan to settle into your life in the UK, we wanted to provide you with some tips and support we think may be of use to you as you start your time in training in the UK.

Looking for an Accommodation

When looking for accommodation (buying or renting) try to search for areas that are easy to commute to from your placement. Websites such as Right Move and Zoopla and advertise a great amount of properties to rent or buy.

An alternative option to finding your own accommodation is shared properties where you rent a room in a shared accommodation. Take a look at SpareRoom website for more details.

To rent, you will need:

a deposit (usually your first months rent fee)
other admin fees – ask your estate agent for a breakdown of these fees
proof of identity, immigration status and employment status.

Top tip – Try to view the property physically and if unable to then ask for a virtual tour.

Register with a GP

Make sure to register with a GP in your area as this will be vital in case you have any health concerns/ need or if you become ill at any point in time. You do not have to pay to register with a GP and once you have registered, there is no charge to see your GP. However, if you are prescribed any medication, then you may have to pay for this.

Get in touch with your local GP and many of them will allow the registration to be completed online or via post as you may only need to provide your personal information to register. Take a look at the NHS website here and find your local GP today.

UK's Emergency Contact Numbers
General Emergency - 999
Police, Ambulance, Fire - 999 (112 is also supported)
NHS Direct - 111 (When you need medical help but its not life threatening)

Managing your Finances

When moving to the United Kingdom, it’s essential that you get your finances to ensure you can support yourself and your family. This relates to any short-term money needs as well as long-term financial management, including:

Bank accounts - Research your banking options before you arrive, including retail banks in the UK. For more information, refer to 'Your Pre-employment Process' for advice on opening a bank account in the UK or refer to the article here.
Pensions, tax, and investments - Can your pension be transferred to the UK? How will your investments be affected? Find out before you move with our guide to the UK tax system and our guide to the UK pension system.
Insurance - Whatever your needs, make sure your family’s belongings have the protection they need by sorting out insurance premiums before you leave. For more information, read our guide to insurance in the UK.

Applying for Clinical Attachment

Why not apply for a Clinical Attachment. After you have received your offer letter and have been informed of where you will be based, why not look to see if you can register for a Clinical attachment. They are a really useful way for international medical graduates to get a taste of the working lives of doctors in the NHS. You can observe a Consultant in a relevant specialty without having the responsibility of patient care. For more information take a look here.

Your Pre-employment Process

To start your training you need to complete your pre-employment process

Before you start your training journey with Lead Employer, it is essential for all colleagues-in-training to complete their pre-employment checks in order for work clearance and the ability to start training in post.

To understand the full process, please see our dedicated pre-employment hub and use below as some additional tips in regards to completing your required pre-employment checks, as an international colleague.

DBS

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is a criminal record clearance. You will apply for it online through a link that we will provide in your offer letter. This will be one of the first things to do once you arrive in the UK to enable you for clearance to start in post.

Once you have your DBS certificate, consider registering with the DBS online update service, this will save you time in the future when needing to apply for a new DBS certificate.

International Police Check/ Certificate of Good Standing

Your International Police Check/ Certificate of Good Standing, is a mandatory pre-employment check of which all International Colleagues are required to provide Lead Employer with these details.

You can apply for your required certificate via this link and access further guidance on this process.

Biometric Residence Permit

Your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) is your visa permit to stay and study in the country. Within your Offer Letter, you will receive details of how to apply for your Biometric Residence Permit.

Please take a look at Health Education England’s guidance on this application process.

You will only be able to retrieve your Visa once you are physically within the UK.

We advise that you contact N HS England in order to find out where you will be placed on your initial placement so that you can request for your Visa to be delivered to a Post Office that is within this specific area.

Occupational Health Clearance

Your Occupational Health Clearance can only be completed once you are within the UK. It is essential that you contact Health, Work and Wellbeing to make them aware of your arrival in the country so that they are able to book your required appointment in a timely manner.

You can contact the team via email: HWWB.Recruitment@sthk.nhs.uk

Opening a Bank Account

Upon your arrival within the UK, we urge you to open a UK bank account as soon as possible as this will be used to process your required ID checks as a form of proof of address. This can be a difficult process, however we advise checking the banks website to see if they offer additional support to International applicants. Some examples of UK banks include:

NatWest
Barclays
HSBC
Nationwide
Lloyds

In addition to help with this process, you can request a Confirmation Of Offer Of Employment Letter which will help with the additional processes too:

Visa Application
Rental Agreement
Mortgage Application

Settling into the UK

Tips on settling into the British Culture

Moving to a new country and starting a brand-new role can be very exciting, but we understand it’s never easy or straightforward. Lead Employer is here to help support you through this transition to settle in your new job and get the most out of living in the UK.

It’s split into three parts :

Travel in the UK

Airport

There are over 40 airports around the UK in some of the biggest cities in the country, like Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle, as well as London which has six major airports. The majority will accommodate international flights, you can find a map here.

Bus

Whether you’re in central London or in a rural village, the local bus is the most accessible mode of transport around the UK, here are some tips to remember when travelling by bus:

More and more buses are now accepting contactless payment in larger towns and cities – like in London, you are only able to pay via contactless credit/debit card or an Oyster card (a local transport card).
In London the exit is a different door to the entrance, however, outside the capital it might be the same out, so check what your fellow passengers are doing when leaving the bus.
Be careful not to miss the last bus home! Check timetables online or at the bus stop ahead of time as some may stop running in the early evening.

Train

The UK train network is split into different companies within the UK which is confusing for both locals and visitors alike as it causes significant regional levels of service, cleanliness, and price. Unfortunately train travel in the UK is expensive but here is some advice on how to save and make your travels convenient:

You can use an online mobile app called Trainline to see train times.
As a general rule, always buy your ticket before you board the train.
Try booking your tickets in advance as they might be cheaper than on the day tickets.
Take advantage of railcards which offer discounts on train travel as they can save you a lot of money and available to everyone.
If your train is cancelled or delayed, you are eligible for a refund. Simply visit the ticket office at the station and enquire about claiming your money back.

Coach

While buses run on local routes, coach travel in the UK operates on an intercity network that connects the country’s largest towns and cities so here’s a few points to remember if you’re taking the coach:

Coach travel in the UK isn’t the quickest mode of transport. For example, London to Edinburgh takes over 11 hours on a coach, compared to 4.5 hours on a train.
With that being said, you can make significant savings by traveling via coach
Some examples of coaches in the UK are National Express, Megabus, FlixBus or BlaBlaBus

Driving

Driving in the UK may seem a bit strange, as it is part of the 76 countries in the world to be driving on the left side of the road. But if you want to drive in the UK, you can use an international driving licence for up to 12 months. If you have a driving licence from the UAE, Ukraine, Taiwan or Republic of North Macedonia, you may exchange it with a British driving licence without taking a driving test.

Otherwise, you should apply for a provisional driving licence through the DVLA website, take a theory test, and assign yourself to an instructor to help you pass the practical test. There are significant delays in test booking currently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Culture and Lifestyle

Local Groceries

There are a range of supermarkets in the UK which vary in size and products. Most of the supermarkets offer international products Halal meats, gluten free diet, sugar free diet, and vegan friendly options. Otherwise, there are various designated Asian and Halal shops within the country.

Lower price range:

Aldi
Lidl
Asda

Medium price range:

Tesco
Morrisons
Sainsbury’s

High price range:

Marks and Spencer
Waitrose
Ocado

Most of the stores mentioned above will stock other necessities such as medicine and home products. However, you can access a wide range of medicine in a store called Boots

School

You may be able to bring family members to join you permanently in the UK. If you do, you can look at the standard of schools for your children around your area. You can also see the feedback from the students’ families on a website called School Guide.

Though you will have to consider that you can only apply to a certain school if you live in the catchment area of that school. To apply you will need a proof of address to start the application. We advise that you speak to the school managers if you are coming from abroad, as your children may be able to get additional support in the transitional phase to the new education system in a new country.

Faiths and Beliefs

This country is home to people of all different religious backgrounds with various places of worship for those who practice their beliefs. In larger towns and cities, it is easy to find somewhere to practice your faith as well as a community to welcome you, whether it be a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue. In addition, some trusts and practices accommodate for everyone by providing a prayer room for all religions to use during working hours.

Communication and Language

Getting a UK Sim Card

An important part of settling in the UK is getting your hands on a local SIM card. Not only will this give you a cheap and easy way to keep in touch with your friends back home, but it will also mean that you’re more contactable in the UK. Having a local number is important if you’re working in the UK and getting a UK SIM card can make a big difference to your life. And this is especially true if your existing mobile operator doesn’t offer free roaming in the UK.

You have two options when it comes to a UK SIM card: a prepaid SIM or a cell phone contract. The right option for you will depend on your circumstances but here are a few network providers:

Voxi
Giffgaff
Vodaphone
Three
EE

Communicating at Work

Whilst living and working in the UK, it will become apparent that the country is culturally diverse especially in the NHS. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity are core principles, and this should be reflected in your working practice. Here are some key things to bear in mind during your training.

Within the country there are many phrases and expressions that are characteristic of the British English language, as well as the local regional dialects and accents. You also must remember that your colleagues’ and patients’ first language may not be English either.

To familiarise yourself with the accents and culture, we suggest staying updated with current affairs, through the news and television. There are also many British movies and shows that explore the lifestyle in the UK.

You may also know that the British have a known reputation for being polite and well-mannered, so they will say ‘sorry’ (even if something’s not their fault) and ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ multiple times in a conversation.

You will be working with alongside various professionals with different roles, fields of expertise and levels of responsibility so it is important to treat others how you would like to be treated. To find further advice on communicating with others in your workplace, you can access the BMA’s page.

Yet, with this in mind please remember that if you ever feel that you, your colleague, or a patient are being discriminated, bullied, harassed, or abused by other patients, colleagues, or superiors, you are free and able to speak up against this and please do understand that these issues are taken very seriously! Should you want to raise any concerns you can find a guide on the BMA’s page or use the GMC’s raising and acting on concerns flowchart to help you decide whether to raise a concern.

Your Wellbeing

We’re here to support you

Working in healthcare comes with it's challenges. It is therefore important that you make time for your own wellbeing and mental health to support your work/ life balance. We understand the demanding work and training schedules you must have, with frequent rotations and the additional pressures of life outside of work, so we want to remind you of all the wellbeing resources you can access.

Lead Employer, the NHS and many mental health charities have made various forms of support for different cases that are available to all our colleagues-in-training, you can find these different forms of support below.

Contacting Lead Employer

Please contact our designated Lead Employer Helpdesk for all your queries and needs as they should be your main point of contact.

You can find all relevant contact information on our contact us page

Useful Links and Resources

Here we’ve put together a list of some useful resources and links we think may help you throughout your time in training.

Take a look at the GOV.uk webpage for information on all governmental services including visas/immigration, national insurance, taxes, pensions etc

The BMA is the UK’s professional trade union of medical doctors and represents, supports and negotiates on behalf of all UK doctors and medical students. They are member-run and led, fighting for the best terms and conditions as well as lobbying and campaigning on the issues impacting the medical profession. Take a look at their site and see how you can become a member

The NHS Employers Working and training in the NHS guide for international medical graduates guide provides information for international medical and dental graduates about the NHS in England, work opportunities in the UK and registration and immigration requirements

The General Medical Council is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Take a look at their guidance on Insurance indemnity and medico-legal support

Need some help understanding how the NHS Pensions Scheme works? The take a look at the NHS Business Services Authority website that will outline everything you need to know

e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) is a NHSe programme, working in partnership with the NHS and professional bodies, to support patient care by providing e-learning to educate and train the health and social care workforce.

As now a member of the NHS, take advantage of this and register for NHS discounts through the Blue Light Card NHS discounts scheme. Get access to discounts on food, social activities, clothing, holidays and much more

If you are a colleague based in the North West, check out the NHSe handbook for which focuses on settling into life and working in this area

Why not take a look at the GMC’s free online workshop, Welcome to UK Practise, that is designed to support doctors new to the UK. Offering guidance on adapting to UK practise, this workshop can be of massive benefit to anyone joining the NHS outside of the UK.

International Colleagues

Welcome to Lead Employer!

IMG Toolkit