Advice for English student studying in Scotland

anj67

My daughter started studying at Edinburgh University this week and I have only just discovered she will be entitled to free NHS prescriptions and regular eye tests every 2 years now she’s living in Scotland. I was expecting to have to start paying for her once she reached 19 years old. That made me wonder what to about a dentist as I read that anyone aged under 26 in Scotland gets free dental treatment. However, I’m not sure how easy it is to get an NHS dentist in Edinburgh. There’s lots in information on the internet but not all in the same place. I was told that she will get a different NHS no. when she registers with a doctor in Scotland so is she able to have 2 different NHS nos. if she keeps the same dentist in England? I wondered if anyone had been in the same situation and/or had any advice? Thanks in advance.

silvercar

The systems don’t connect, so it is definitely possible to have 2 NHS numbers. She could easily register for any medical service in Scotland and use her Scottish NHS number, she should get this when she first registers with a GP in Scotland.

In England, the idea of “keeping an NHS dentist” is just a policy of the dental practice you visit. There is no central wide policy on being attached to a dental surgery, unlike GP surgeries.

One piece of advice, from someone who has worked in this area, she should have all her covid vaccines in the same country. Having a vaccine certificate from England and one from Scotland and trying to either get your records merged or accepted by a foreign country as proof of being fully vaccinated is a nightmare.