If you’re planning to travel outside the UK, your travel health needs will depend on your individual situation.This includes: your destination, how long you’ll stay, what you’ll be doing and your general health.
You can access information on what vaccinations are required, together with malarial and safe travel advice at Fit for Travel.
Travel health risk assessment
If you think you require vaccines and/or a malaria risk assessment, you should make an appointment with a travel health professional.
A travel health risk assessment is also recommended for some people, even when vaccines or malaria tablets aren’t required. This includes: older people, those with weakened immune system, those with long term conditions, pregnant women and children.
To make an appointment for a travel health risk assessment in Scotland, contact the NHS health board where you live.
Alternatively, you can visit a private clinic for a risk assessment, advice and other travel vaccines
You should arrange a travel health risk assessment 6 to 8 weeks before you travel. This gives time for any vaccines you might need to become fully effective.
If your trip is sooner, remember it’s never too late to get advice.
Healthy Travel Leaflet
You may find the following leaflet helpful when making your travel arrangements.
Advice on Malaria will be given.
Please download and print our useful guide below about Mosquito advice.
Hepatitis immunisation
Immunisation against infectious Hepatitis (Hepatitis A) is available free of charge on the NHS in connection with travel abroad. However Hepatitis B is not routinely available free of charge and therefore you may be charged for this vaccination when requested in connection with travel abroad.
Private Travel Clinics
If you are unable to wait for our next available travel advice appointment, as advised by the reception staff, then you can attend a MASTA clinic or any other Private Travel Clinic. Please be aware that charges will apply.
Masta
Masta offer travel health consultations, vaccinations (including yellow fever at MASTA nurse lead clinics and selected community pharmacies), antimalarials and travel related retail items. MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad), 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.