Grampian offers some of the best and most comprehensive hospital and health care in the country. There are 30 hospitals in the area and more than 30 health centres and clinics. In addition, there are seven centres for special needs.

The city's principal hospital, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, is located at Foresterhill together with Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital. A new £23 million children's hospital is scheduled to open in 2003. The complex is established as a world-renowned teaching hospital, offering the complete range of medical and research facilities for Aberdeen and the surrounding area.

The National Health Service (NHS) provides free or subsidised health care for those who need it and is made up of a wide range of health professionals, support workers and organisations.

You are entitled to use the services of the NHS if you are a national of an EEA country or you have been issued with a UK work permit. If you are the holder of a work permit, your spouse and children are also entitled to use NHS services.

Some of the free services offered by the NHS include:

• emergency medical services
• visits to local doctors (GPs)
• community health services
• ante-natal and post-natal care
• child screening
• dentistry
• outpatient services
• operations

A separate system for private health care also exists in the UK and you should be aware that not all doctors, dentists or operations are covered by the NHS, in which case you will have to pay for treatment.

General Practitioners (GPs) are doctors working in the local community. In rural areas, some GPs may work alone but the majority work in group practices consisting of a number of doctors. Some group practices work from a health centre which generally means that they can provide a wider range of services such as a health visitor, district nurse, psychiatric nurse, chiropodist and specialised clinics.

You should register with a local GP as soon as possible after your arrival in the UK.

The majority of GP practices operate an appointment system. The alternative is a queuing system where the patients go to the surgery during consultation hours and wait until the doctor is free to see them. If necessary, you can telephone the surgery early in the morning and request a home visit. If you cannot contact your GP in an emergency you should go to the Accident and Emergency Department at the local hospital.

If you need treatment that cannot be provided by your own GP, you will be referred to a specialist. You will then see the consultant or specialist at a hospital outpatient clinic. Should you need to be admitted to hospital the specialist responsible for your care must refer you.

If you or your spouse has a UK work permit or are a national of an EEA country, there is no charge for seeing the doctor unless he or she chooses to treat you on a private basis. If you require hospital treatment you will be advised by the hospital as to whether you will be treated under the NHS or privately.

You will find a list of all the doctors and health centres in your area in the Yellow Pages telephone directory. You can also search online using your postcode at www.nhs.uk

There are also private medical facilities available in Aberdeen such as Albyn Hospital. You may wish to take out health insurance to take advantage of private health care facilities for yourself and your family.

Not all dentists provide free NHS treatment. Even if they do NHS work and it will be at the dentist's discretion as to whether or not new patients are treated privately or under the NHS. Children, however, are still given free dental treatment by NHS dentists.

You can consult your Yellow Pages for a list of dentists in your area.

There is a standard charge for every item prescribed by a doctor, except female contraceptives for which there is no charge. The prescription charge for a single item is currently £6.30. The cost of prescription prepayment certificates covering more than 5 items over a four-month period is £32.90. The cost of an annual prescription prepayment certificate covering more than 14 items currently stands at £90.40. (These figures were set by the Scottish Executive on 1st April 2003.)

Many people are entitled to free prescriptions including children under the age of six, pregnant women and mothers of children under one.

You can take your prescription to a pharmacy where you will be given your medicines. Upon receipt of these medicines you must pay the pharmacy, if you are not eligible for exemption. Local pharmacies often operate a rota system in order to provide a service for patients who cannot visit during normal working hours. To find out which pharmacies in your area are open after 6pm, and for a limited period on Sundays and public holidays, contact your GP or local chemist.

The NHS operates a comprehensive programme of developmental screening for babies and children up to school age. This is normally available through your local health centre and provided by a health visitor, GP or clinical medical officer.

School health services also provide a regular programme of surveillance in local authority schools.

You do not need a referral from a GP to see an optician and there is usually a good range of opticians in larger towns. Some opticians are independent and operate an appointment system and others offer an express service and belong to a chain. You will normally pay for a sight test on top of the cost of spectacle frames and lenses or contact lenses. The sight test is free for children and NHS vouchers are available towards the cost of spectacles.

Family planning services can be accessed via your local doctor or through a specialised Family Planning Clinic, although not all practices offer the full range of contraceptive methods. You do not need a referral from your GP to use the services of a Family Planning Clinic.

The Family Planning Service, also known as Square 13 - Centre for Reproductive Health, offers free and confidential contraceptive and sexual health advice and supplies. In the North East of Scotland, this organisation covers the Aberdeen City Council area and all the Aberdeenshire Council administrative areas. For more information contact:

Tel: +44(0) 1224 642711

A confidential advice line is also available on +44 (0) 1224 622989 during the following hours: Monday - Thursday 1.00pm-5.00pm and Friday 1.00pm-4.30pm

Dial 999 or 112 to contact the Police, Fire Brigade, Ambulance Service or Coastguard in the case of an emergency. You will be asked which of these services you would like to be connected to and you must give your name, location and the nature of the emergency. You should only use these numbers where there is a danger to life or a crime in progress.

In all other cases, you should call your local doctor or police station. In the case of a household emergency such as a problem with your electricity, gas or water, you can contact:

Scottish Hydro-Electric 0800 300 999
Transco (Gas) 0800 111 999
Scottish Water 0845 600 8855