An NHS interpreter is free — and you can register with a GP without a single document

Half of what people tell each other about the NHS is half true. "They won't register you without documents." "You have to bring your own interpreter." "Without status they won't treat you at all." We took the most common claims and checked each against the primary source: NHS England, nhs.uk, GOV.UK and the professional registers. Some did not survive. And one right turned up that hardly anyone uses, though it is worth more than everything else here.

An NHS interpreter is free, and booking one is the practice's job, not yours

This is the important one. NHS England's guidance for commissioners states that interpretation and translation "should be provided free at the point of delivery, be of a high quality, accessible and responsive to a patient's linguistic needs." And separately: "Patients should not be asked to pay for interpreting services or to provide their own interpreter."

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On who arranges it: "Where an interpreter is required the primary care provider is responsible for ensuring one is booked." That is your GP surgery's reception, not you.

And a rule every family should know: "The use of anyone under the age of 16 for interpretation is not acceptable in any circumstance other than when immediate and necessary treatment is required." A child should not be interpreting a conversation about their mother's illness. This is not a matter of manners — it is an explicit prohibition in NHS England guidance.

How to use it in practice: say when you book that you need an interpreter and name the language, before the appointment rather than in the consulting room. Interpreters are booked in advance, sometimes by phone, sometimes by video. If reception tells you to bring your own, refer to the NHS England guidance for commissioners on interpreting and translation services in primary care.

NHS 111 is simpler still. The nhs.uk page says it plainly: "Call 111 and ask for an interpreter." For people who cannot hear or speak: text relay on 18001 111, 24 hours a day; British Sign Language through signvideo.co.uk/nhs111.

You can register with a GP without a passport, an address or any status

The nhs.uk page on registering says it in as many words: "You do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status." And separately, an NHS number makes it easier to find your records but you do not need one to register.

This is the single most damaging misconception among new arrivals — people go years without a GP because they have "nothing to show". Nothing needs to be shown.

A practice may refuse, but only on three grounds: it is not taking new patients, you live outside its area, or you were previously removed from its list. And if it does refuse: "If a GP surgery refuses to register you, they must write to you within 14 days to explain why." In writing. Within a fortnight.

If no explanation arrives, or it does not satisfy you, complain to the right body rather than to "the NHS" in general. As of 2026 the commissioner of primary care is your integrated care board: NHS England directs complaints about GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists to the local ICB. The chain is: the practice itself, then the ICB, then the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on 0345 015 4033 (Monday to Thursday 9am–4pm, Friday 8.30am–12pm).

What is free to everyone, whatever their status

Precision matters here, so these are the regulations' own terms rather than a paraphrase.

• A&E and emergency ambulance services are free, provided the purpose of the visit to the UK was not to seek treatment. But the exemption ends at admission: it "does not include those emergency services provided after the overseas visitor has been accepted as an inpatient." Being seen in A&E is free; being admitted to a ward may not be.
• Family planning services are free — services that supply contraceptive products and devices to prevent pregnancy. Termination of an established pregnancy is not included.
• Infectious diseases: free diagnosis and treatment applies to a specified list of diseases set out in schedule 1 of the charging regulations, again provided the visit was not for treatment. Not "most infections" — a defined list.

And one sentence worth memorising, because you can quote it: "Urgent or immediately necessary care must never be withheld or delayed because of charging issues." The same guidance adds that treatment must go ahead even where the patient has not yet been told about possible charges, where their chargeable status is under investigation, or where they have said they cannot or will not pay.

On the money side of a visa: the Immigration Health Surcharge is £776 a year for students, their dependants, under-18s and Youth Mobility Scheme applicants, and £1,035 a year for all other applications. Once it is paid you use the NHS on the same footing as anyone else.

Four doors, and one rule

People new to the country turn up at A&E with things a pharmacist could handle, simply because nobody explained the doors in between.

1. 999 — a threat to life: chest pain, confusion, heavy bleeding, signs of stroke, someone not breathing.
2. 111 — "do I even need to go anywhere": 24 hours, free, with an interpreter on request.
3. A pharmacy. Under Pharmacy First in England a pharmacist can consult and supply medicine for seven conditions: acute otitis media (1–17), impetigo (1+), infected insect bites (1+), shingles (18+), sinusitis (12+), sore throat (5+) and uncomplicated urinary tract infection (women 16–64). No appointment, no GP.
4. An urgent treatment centre — injuries and problems that cannot wait for a GP appointment but are not life-threatening. And the sentence that removes the main fear: "You do not need to be registered with a GP or have a fixed address."

At night and at weekends, find an open pharmacy through the official NHS finder at nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy, which covers late-night and 24-hour branches. There is no single national NHS page telling you what to do at night, so check the individual pharmacy's hours rather than trusting a summary.

NHS dentistry: what it costs

From 1 April 2026 England has three NHS dental bands:

• Band 1 — £27.90: examination, diagnosis, X-rays, a scale and polish, advice. Urgent treatment costs the same.
• Band 2 — £76.60: fillings, extractions, root canal treatment.
• Band 3 — £332.10: crowns, dentures, bridges.

Treatment is free if you are under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months; have had a stillbirth in the past 12 months; or are an NHS hospital dental patient. Also if you or your partner receive Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or Universal Credit where income is below a certain amount — as are dependants under 20 of people receiving those.

Note that Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance are no longer on the nhs.uk list, although many reference sites still print them. If your income is low but you do not fit the list, the NHS Low Income Scheme issues HC2 and HC3 certificates.

Three things are free regardless of status or exemption: removing stitches, stopping bleeding from the mouth, and repairing a denture.

How to check, in five minutes, that a doctor is real

This is a skill worth learning once. It matters most to people who search for a doctor who speaks their own language, find a well-made website, see the word "doctor" and check nothing.

Doctors. The GMC register, at gmc-uk.org. Being "registered" is not enough — a doctor also needs a licence to practise. The GMC states that doctors practising medicine in the UK must hold a licence, that those without one should not practise, that it is the licence which permits prescribing and treating patients, and that a doctor's status on the register shows whether they hold one. Check for the licence, not merely for the name.

Dentists. The GDC online register at olr.gdc-uk.org confirms whether a professional is registered and able to practise in the UK. The GDC's own caveat: it holds no information on whether someone works in the NHS or privately.

Nurses and midwives. The NMC register at nmc.org.uk distinguishes three states: effective registration with no restrictions; registration with restrictions or a caution order; and those suspended or removed. Search by PIN or surname — a first name alone is not enough.

Clinics. The CQC register at cqc.org.uk, and here is the trap almost everyone falls into. CQC registers the legal entity, not the sign above the door: "A service provider is the legal entity who is carrying on the regulated activity." The familiar brand name may appear only as an "also known as". So search by name and by address — and if neither finds anything, that is itself an answer.

One thing not to misread: CQC has no legal power to rate dental services. A dental practice without a "Good" rating is not deficient — it is a feature of the regulation. A note saying the service has not been inspected yet, however, means exactly what it says.

What to do this week

1. If you are not registered with a GP, register. No documents are needed.
2. Ask for an interpreter when you book, and name the language. It is free and the practice must arrange it.
3. Save in your phone: 111, the NHS pharmacy finder, and the address of your nearest urgent treatment centre.
4. Before paying a private doctor, check them on the GMC or GDC register and the clinic on CQC. Five minutes.
5. If a practice refuses to register you and no written explanation arrives within 14 days, go to your ICB rather than arguing at reception.