Working in the United Kingdom - Advice for Nurses, Doctors and Allied Health Professionals

Living and Working in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom offers a wealth of opportunity for work and life, from vibrant cities, to wonderful countryside and coastlines. In fact, most people who relish the challenge of working abroad would put England and Wales high on their list.

As a taste of what there is, look at these potential destinations. These, and many others are just a weekend break from wherever you are.

London - one of the world's finest cities and has so much history, culture and shopping to explore.
Liverpool - the home of The Beatles, is a growing, modern and humorous city, packed with entertainment. In 2008, Liverpool will be the European Capital City of Culture
Cardiff - the capital of Wales has so much for you to discover, and its easy driving to the fantastic Welsh mountains. Its glorious countryside has homely villages with hospitality to match.

Then there are counties such as Yorkshire, in the north, and Devon, in the south, which has scenery and relaxation you would dream about.

General Information

Britain comprises of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Britain is one of the member states of the European Union (EU).
It is made up of many islands - Great Britain being the largest island, 1000km from top to toe, and 500km at its widest point. The most northerly point on the British mainland is Dunnet Head, north-east Scotland and the most southerly point Lizard Point, Cornwall.
London is the capital of England, Edinburgh of Scotland, Cardiff of Wales, Belfast of Northern Ireland.
English is the official language.
England's climate is classified as mild and damp. Settled periods of weather are rare and rain is likely at any time.
Britain has a population of over 55 million making the island one of the most crowded on the planet (England 48,708,000, Wales 2,913,000, Scotland 5,132,000, Northern Ireland 1,642,000). Majority of the population is concentrated in England in and around London: 7 - 12 million and 20 million visitors a year!
The Brits are a diverse bunch; the big cities are multicultural, and overall welcoming and friendly.

Lifestyle

As with everything in Britain, the lifestyle can vary greatly depending on whether you are in the city or country and whether you are in the North or South. In addition, the way of life experienced by those living in remote villages in Scotland or Wales differs immensely from those dwelling in Britain's cities.

The South East of England, in particular London, is notorious for its fast paced lifestyle. Here you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of cars, buses and trains packed full of people rushing to be somewhere. This may be a little daunting at first and you could feel as though the whole world has come to Britain especially London. However, once you have become familiar with the hustle and bustle, you will be able to appreciate the variety that such a largely and diversely populated city and indeed, country can offer.

Once outside the city centres you will find that the pace of life slows down somewhat, in fact it is fair to say that the speed at which people live their lives relates to the size and population of the town or village visited.

Climate

Generally you can expect the full range of temperatures from below zero in winter (November to March) and high twenties during summer (June to September). If you go into Europe, you can expect colder temperatures in winter in the Alps and in summer very hot conditions in southern France, Spain, and Italy. In terms of clothing you will need to bring clothes for all seasons.

The Government System

The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution but operates under a mixture of Parliamentary statutes, common law, and convention. Voting is not compulsory, and candidates are elected if they win a simple majority in their constituencies.

Parliament

The three elements that make up Parliament - the Queen, the House of Lords, and the elected House of Commons are constituted on different principles. They meet all together rarely, only on symbolic occasions. The agreement of all three elements is normally required for legislation. The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons and is technically appointed by the Queen.

The main functions of Parliament are:

to pass laws,
to provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government,
to scrutinise government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure,
to debate the major issues of the day.

Scotland has its own parliament, and Wales an elected Assembly, which sit in Edinburgh and Cardiff respectively. Both Scotland and Wales remain part of the United Kingdom and have continued representation in the Parliament at Westminster in London.

The Monarchy

The Monarchy is the oldest institution of Government. Today the Queen is not only Head of State, but also an important symbol of national unity. Although the seat of the Monarchy is in Britain, the Queen is also head of state of a number of Commonwealth states.

Public Holidays

Most banks, businesses and some museums, and other places of interest are closed on public holidays.

Money

British money is based on the decimal system; there are one hundred pence (p) to each pound sterling (£).

Notes: £50, £20, £10, £5
Coinage: £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, 1p

All major international credit cards (Access, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, VISA) are widely accepted in shops, restaurants, etc within Britain.

Accommodation

Geneva Health will facilitate finding accommodation options for you. This will be a temporary base for those initial weeks while you settle in and get yourself organised. Whether it is a Hostel, B&B or Hospital accommodation it will be warm, safe, and comfortable but don't waste time, upon arriving in London your first priority should be finding a place to live. You are not alone, there are others in your situation looking for a place to live. Check out the notice board at Geneva Health's London office or in the hostel, talk to other people, ask around, look in the back of the TNT (available free every Monday outside tube stations or in the GH London Office) or the Southern Cross (available free every Wednesday outside tube stations), the Loot paper, the Evening Standard newspaper under the classified ads and search on the Gumtree website.

Be prepared when renting a flat;

most landlords require one month's up to six weeks deposit and one month's rent in advance,
many landlords will want references - a past landlord and/or your employer, and a bank reference,
you will normally have to sign a 6 or 12 month contract.

Studios and one-bedroom apartments are plentiful in London, which is very much a 'renting city'. However, rent can be very high, astronomical in some cases. Costs vary according to location in the city and transport, and size of the house. They can also widely differ in standards. The meaning of 'furnished' can also vary hugely, from a bed and a couch to an over filled flat with all of grandma's left over furniture! You should expect to pay anything from £85 - £120 per week for a studio flat while one-bedroom flats carry weekly rents of £120 - £160 and up (way up!).

Here is a list of useful accommodation websites for you to have a look at:

A cheaper alternative is to take a room in a shared house/flat. You have your own room and share bathroom, kitchen, and living facilities with a number of others. This is a good way to meet people and can be a lot of fun. Mind the 3 bedroom antipodean flats that have 10 people living there, unless you're very easy going and accommodating! As a rule flatting with antipodeans is a safe bet, they are travel minded and are here to experience London life too.

Bills will normally be paid either monthly or quarterly and include water, electricity, gas, and council tax (rates, as a tenant you are liable). Then there is the telephone, TV licence, sky, and other rentals.

It is worth taking out a home insurance policy for your personal effects as soon as you are settled. Shop around to get the best prices.

Transport

It is probably a good idea to purchase a copy of the 'London A to Z' prior to, or on arrival in order to orientate yourself as soon as possible.

Public Transport

The Underground (or Tube) is the most efficient way of moving in London; most suburbs are served by a station and trains are frequent. They start early in the morning but close at about midnight. London's bus service compliments the Tube and you will find that if there isn't a Tube there is a bus. At night there is a night bus service that operates from Trafalgar Square. Mainline train services again link the bigger suburbs and the centre.

The best way to travel is with a 'Travelcard'. Valid for a day, it is better value for money, plus it can be used on the Tube, on the buses, and on the trains. Regular journey-makers can purchase a weekly or monthly pass, for which you will need a passport size photograph. Contact the local ticket office at the train or Tube station for information. Don't try and buy a weekly pass at 08:30 on a Monday morning, the queue will be huge and you won't be popular!

Zones	Single Ticket	Day Travelcard	Week Travelcard	Month Travelcard
1,2	£2.20	£5.30	£17.00	£77.60
1,2,3,4	£3.00	£7.30	£29.20	£112.20
1,2,3,4,5,6	£3.80	£11.10	£38.30	£147.10

Taxis

London is instantly recognisable by the Black Cab. You can hail them anywhere as long as the yellow 'For Hire' sign is illuminated. They seat five and can present a cheaper means of getting home if you are in a group. All cabbies have completed what is referred to as the 'Knowledge' which basically means that they are a human A to Z! Other taxis services can only be called by phone or by going into a mini cab office. Be aware of unlicensed cabs, they do exist! If you are sensible you shouldn't have a problem.

Car

Great if you want to travel outside London but not really viable option in London. Roads are packed, parking is impossible and expensive, as is the cost of petrol. If you do need a car you'll need to pay for a MOT (service warranty), insurance and road tax, so the costs add up.

Driving

If you are planning on buying a car, check out the AutoTrader magazine (every Friday), Loot (every weekday), and the Motorists' Guide (monthly). To buy a reliable used car budget from approximately £2,000.

If you are planning on hiring, you must be over 21 (sometimes 23) for travel within the UK and over 23 for travel in Ireland. If you are 25 years old rates tend to be cheaper. Check the phone book for budget companies, though Britain has all the major international companies available; Avis, Budget, Hertz. Most hire companies have a base at major international airports. Expect to pay around £40 per day.

At around 70/80p per litre, petrol is expensive by American or New Zealand standards so ensure you consider petrol prices in your plans.

You should organise an International Drivers Licence before departure from home. If you failed to obtain an international licence before arriving in the UK, do not panic. You should be able to apply for one via England's motorists' associations - the RAC and AA. An international drivers licence is valid in Britain for up to 12 months from your time of entry into the country. Anyone using the roads should purchase a copy of the Highway Code (available from any good book shop). Vehicles in Britain drive on the left-hand side of the road. Front-seat belts are compulsory and the speed limit is 30 mph in built-up areas, 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways. You give way to your right at roundabouts and motorcyclists must wear helmets, these are not yet compulsory for pedal cyclists.

Further information sources:

Vehicle Registration Office (primarily for the registration of vehicles brought in from overseas). Tel: 01582 412143

Cost of Living

London can be a very expensive city in which to live. Living costs are typically higher than in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. However don't forget options for travelling abroad are plentiful (and more competitively priced) than travelling between or within Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.

Rent will consume the largest part of your income. If you choose to live in the centre you may find yourself paying anything from £40 to £100 per week for a shared bedroom to a place of your own respectively. In addition to this is the possibility of hospital accommodation, which can be organised directly through the hospital or in liaison with Geneva Health. Living further out of the centre will mean that you may end up paying a lower rent but this normally balances out against an increase in travel expenses.

Approximate Living Costs (Subject to seasonal change)
Milk	1 litre	£0.72
Bread	White loaf	£0.92
Eggs	Half dozen	£0.91
Baked Beans	Can 420g	£0.38
Chicken	1kg	£2.99
Cheese	250g	£2.05
Fish and Chips	(takeaway)	£3.00
Margarine	500g	£0.95
Corn Flakes	500g	£1.52
Spaghetti	500g	£0.38
Plain Rice	1kg	£0.91
Potatoes	1kg	£1.15
Tomatoes	1lb	£1.20
Coffee	100g	£1.75
Tea Bags	80	£1.65
Coca-Cola	2 litres	£1.39
Fresh Orange Juice	1 litre	£1.55
Pkt of Cigarettes	20	£4-5.00
Pint of Lager	(in pub)	£2.50
Petrol (unleaded)	1 litre	£0.75
Haircut	Men	£10-15.00
Haircut	Women	£30-50.00

Services in the United Kingdom

Health

Doctors

You will need to register with a local doctor to receive medical treatment. Visiting a doctor is free, and any prescriptions you require will cost you a subsidized £5-£6 each. A few weeks after registering, you will be sent a National Health Service (NHS) Card that you will use whenever seeking medical treatment under the NHS.

Dentists

Visiting a dentist in the UK can be expensive, for those without private insurance. It is therefore, advisable to carry private insurance that covers dental work. In an emergency you can telephone the 24-hour Dental-Medical Information Line 0208 677 8383.

Hospitals

In an emergency, or outside of Doctor's surgery hours, your best bet is to go directly to a hospital. Treatment by hospital casualty departments is free, although you should be prepared for a long wait.

Banking

Geneva Health has an arrangement with Barclays Bank, enabling you to open a bank account within 4-5 working days. This package includes; a bank account, debit card, credit card and eligibility to open an offshore account. Talk to you consultant if you are interested in finding out more.

However you may wish to open an account before you arrive in the UK. HSBC has branches in most countries, it can take up to five weeks for an account to be opened, so starting the process well before your departure date is advisable. Log on to the HSBC website and select your location, and then request an application pack to be sent to you. The minimum deposit to open a UK bank account with HSBC before you leave is £1500 so this may not suit everyone, however it will ensure that you have access to your money immediately upon arrival in the UK. We would suggest taking extra cash or traveller's cheques to cover you for your first month.

The other main high street banks include Natwest, and Lloyds TSB, alternatively building societies such as the Abbey National or Halifax provide other banking opportunities.

Bank opening hours are generally 09:30 to 16:30 hours. Many branches have 24 hour banking lobbies where a range of services can be obtained through machines. ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) are open 24 hours a day and are widely available throughout the UK. Most ATM cards will allow payment by SWITCH, which is similar to EFTPOS though a signature is used instead of a PIN number to authorise payment. It is common to get cash out from a retailer when paying by SWITCH.

Tax and National Insurance

VAT

VAT stands for Value Added Tax. It is charged at 17.5% on most goods bought in shops.

Earnings

Both Tax and National Insurance in the UK is deducted directly from an employee's earnings by his or her employer under the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) system. As all sources of income are thus taxed, it is not necessary to complete an income tax return, as is the case in many countries.

The Inland Revenue issues an individual Tax code according to your pay scale and marriage status. Obtaining this code usually takes 2-3 weeks, during which time you are placed on the Emergency Tax code. Once you have been issued with your Tax code your Tax rate is automatically adjusted and overpayment refunded immediately in the next pay.

Each person working in the UK receives a tax-free personal allowance (as well as a married couple's allowance, if applicable) with any remaining income taxed at differing amounts depending on the person's total annual income.

Taxable Income*
First £1,960	10%
£1,961 - £30,500	22%
£30,500 and above	40%

*Taxable income refers to income over and above the £4,335 personal allowance.

National Insurance

There will be another deduction from your salary (about 11%) for National Insurance (NI); this includes your contributions to the National Pension Scheme, Unemployment Benefits Scheme, sick pay, etc. You will need a National Insurance number, which can be applied for at your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office. Call 192 from within the UK and ask for your local DSS office.

Until you are assigned your NI number, you can use a temporary number, which will be given to you upon applying for the permanent number.

As you pay Tax based on a full year's income, those who work for less than a year will often overpay Tax. Thus if you are a temporary worker with Geneva Health and work for part of a year in the UK you are able to claim a refund before you leave. Note you have to work in the UK for a minimum of 6 months in any tax year (which runs from 6th April to 5th April) in order to qualify for a refund.

Customs

Pets and Quarantine

All cats and dogs entering Britain will be quarantined for six months at approved premises. There are exceptions and any illegally imported animal is liable to be destroyed.

Regarding the current quarantine laws the British Government's new 'Pet Movement Scheme' which is scheduled for implementation within two years, with the pilot scheme planning to be launched April 2000, will allow resident dogs and cats from qualifying countries in Europe to enter the United Kingdom freely providing certain conditions are met. Canada and the United States pets will still be required to go into quarantine.

Further information sources:

www.defra.gov.uk
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Government Buildings (Toby Jug Site),
Hook Rise South,
Tolworth, Surbiton,
Surrey KT6 7NF,
United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 181 330 4411

What to do

Travel

It is easy to fall in love with London and forget that there are other towns and villages to visit in Britain. The United Kingdom offer so many diverse travelling treats that you would be selling your overseas experience short by staying put in the bustling capital.

There is a huge network of rail and coach services linking the capital with the rest of the country. There are internal flights from all the main airports to Scotland and the North of England. For many travellers, London is the stepping-stone to the rest of the world. It's the ideal place to stop for a while to earn some money and meet some great people, before travelling on.

Europe is on your doorstep. At some stage, visiting is a must, as so many countries are accessible, it's only a short hop away by boat, train or plane, to a huge variety of culture. The famous 'weekend break' is the perfect way to see many of Europe's cities. Travel by car, ferry or train with the Eurostar direct from London Waterloo to Paris in three hours, coach or air. International airfares from London are cheap and competitive, particularly if you are able to be flexible about departure dates and exact destinations. Special offers and last minute deals are advertised on the Internet and travel agents.

Sport

The British love sport at both participatory and spectator levels. They have been responsible for the invention of many of the world's most popular sports including, tennis, football (soccer), rugby and golf. We can also thank the British for billiards, snooker, lawn bowls, boxing, darts, hockey, squash and table tennis.

The UK holds many premier events for a large number of sports, both national and international. For further information on the many sporting events held in London you can consult Time Out Magazine, for dates and times etc.

Activities

Britain offers a great wealth of indoor and outdoor activities most of these being well organised and operated by various clubs and associations.

If you choose to head outdoors you will be able to discover some of the beautiful natural landscape England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales has to offer. Some outdoor pursuits that may appeal include: Walking, Cycling, Golfing, and Surfing.

Shopping

There is strong evidence to suggest that shopping is becoming one of Britain's most popular past times. Due to the cosmopolitan nature of Britain's capital it is pretty safe to say that if you can't find it in London then it doesn't exist.

Additionally, London boasts some truly impressive department stores including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum and Mason, and Marks and Spencer. For the best value fashion buys it is recommended that you pay a visit to Camden Market, Covent Garden, Kensington High Street and Oxford Street.

Museums and Art Galleries

London has an outstanding selection of art galleries and museums (some of which have free entry), so many that it's hard to know where to start. One of the most impressive museums to visit is the British Museum, followed closely by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Additionally there is the Museum of London, The Imperial War Museum and the Museum of Moving Image. Well worth including in your itinerary would be the famous Science and Natural History museums, which are enormously popular.

Excellent art galleries to visit are the National and Tate galleries, the Hayward Gallery and lesser-known exhibitions such as the Wallace Collection.

Food and Drink

London has been described as the culinary capital of the country, practically every national cuisine and cooking style is on offer. Bear in mind though that eating out in the capital can be an expensive experience.

National dishes include fish and chips, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and perhaps the most popular of all, a good curry!

The British are a nation of staunch beer drinkers; by this is meant bitter not drinks such as Budweiser, Export Gold or VB these, the Brits call Lager. Tea could be described the national drink and is often considered to be the answer to every crisis you are likely to experience, however, coffee is becoming more and more popular particularly in the cosmopolitan South.

Geneva Health - the United Kingdom