A Villager sent me this response
Yeah, if you’re studying in the UK for more than six months, you definitely need the NHS. When I applied for my student visa, I had to pay something called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)—I think it was around £470 for the year. Once you pay for it, you can use most NHS services for free.
When I got to the UK, I registered with a local GP (general practitioner), who I go to for checkups or if I’m feeling sick. It was pretty easy — just found a nearby clinic and filled out a form with my details. You don’t need an NHS number right away, but they’ll give you one after registration.
For shorter courses (less than 6 months), I think you either pay a smaller IHS fee or get private health insurance. Some of my friends on short-term programs had to buy private insurance instead.
Also, NHS doesn’t cover everything like dental or eye care fully, so some people still get private insurance just in case. But honestly, NHS has been great for the basics.
So yeah, it’s a must, and it’s worth it.
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