NHS Tayside now have a service and pathway for patients seeking travel health advice including travel vaccinations that are available on the NHS.
If you are planning to travel abroad, it is advisable to arrange a travel health risk assessment at least 6 to 8 weeks before you travel. The fit for travel website (see useful links) is a free public access website providing up to date health information for the UK public on avoiding illness and staying healthy when travelling abroad. NHS Tayside advise you visit this website prior to contacting the NHS Tayside vaccinations service. Contact details for this service are: 01382 423108 or email: [email protected]
MASTA Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad
MASTA offer travel health consultations, vaccinations (including yellow fever at MASTA nurse led clinics and selected community pharmacies), antimalarials and travel related retail items. MASTA was established over 30 years ago and we now operate one of the largest network of private travel clinics in the UK.
Excess quantities of regular repeat prescriptions
Under NHS legislation, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for people when they leave the United Kingdom. However, to ensure good patient care the following guidance is offered. People travelling to Europe should be advised to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card.
Medication required for a pre-existing condition should be provided in sufficient quantity to cover the journey and to allow the patient to obtain medical attention abroad. If the patient is returning within the timescale of their usual prescription, then this should be issued (the maximum duration of a prescription is recommended by the Care Trust to be two months, although it is recognised that prescription quantities are sometimes greater than this). Patients are entitled to carry prescribed medicines, even if originally classed as controlled drugs, for example, morphine sulphate tablets.
For longer visits abroad, the patient should be advised to register with a local doctor for continuing medication (this may need to be paid for by the patient).
General practitioners are not responsible for prescriptions of items required for conditions which may arise while travelling, for example travel sickness or diarrhoea. Patients should be advised to purchase these items from community pharmacies prior to travel.