Link

NHS - Healthcare Abroad

* Medical treatment in Europe - the European Health Insurance card or EHIC (the replacement for the E111).

* Medical treatment around the world, including which countries have reciprocal agreements with the UK enabling travellers to receive free or low cost emergency care.

* How to have a healthy journey and deal successfully with any medical emergencies that might occur.

* Protect yourself from malaria, rabies, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis by planning ahead and taking some simple precautions.

* Regularly updated alerts on diseases around the world, advice on staying safe, areas affected by H5N1 (bird flu).

* Health insurance and benefits, advice on staying healthy while  away and what to do when you get home. Useful contacts.

NHS Abroad

UK NHS. The UK's biggest health website. It has an A to Z of symptoms and treatments, lists of local NHS services for your postcode (GPs, hospitals, dentists etc), a guide to care and support services available, over 100 articles on healthy living and health news stories. There are also links to on-line services, the EHIC Card, and registration as a blood or organ donor.

NHS in the UK 

Scottish NHS. Invaluable travel health guidance by the Scottish NHS, with worldwide country-specific disease and inoculation advice, plus an A-Z of general advice on topics from Accidents to Yellow Fever.

Scottish A to Z

Use of the EHIC in Europe

Worldwide Travel and Health Advice. This website contains very detailed US travel advice and health guidance of the kind given to health practitioners. Worldwide coverage with country profiles, safety and security advice, relevant health and inoculation issues and consular information.

Travel Health

 Travel Clinic

Medical Supplies for Travellers, including insect repellents, medical kits, mosquito protection, water purification, mountain survival, DVT prevention - with a list of local stockists.

Medical Supplies

E-Pax First Aid Travel Pack. Henry Love recommends this pack with treatments for many of the ailments which may afflict travellers in the road. There is diagnostic and treatment advice, the required medicines and other supplies (bandages, needles, etc). Put together by a GP living in Dorset, the pack can be purchased online, along with top-up supplies (which we hope aren't neccesary!)

Our friend Dr Bob, writing on his one-year journey through Australia, adds:

Price: I looked at the First Aid Kit and it does seem expensive. If you were in Spain, then you could put this together for half the price. Also in Spain you could get the needles and syringes, including butterfly infusion needle, over the counter but I don't think it would be so in UK. All in all, though, I would be in favour of this kit as opposed to none at all. It does give a modicum of safety and support and there are the information cards. It's a bit like Insurance - remember the maxim: 'if you can't afford to insure you can't afford to go'.

Antibiotics: Not sure about the choice of antibiotic. There would not be enough of them - and what about the penicillin allergic?

Syringe: Yes, the 10ml would be good for eye irrigation as well, but I would prefer 2x5ml if any.

Steristrips: Not enough - and what about suture: say 3/0 silk or Ethicon on a fixed needle?

Paracetamol: You can get a lot stronger over the counter in UK supermarkets, eg ExtraStrength painkillers at Tesco, Asda, etc, and of course Ibuprofen (Brufen).

E-Pax Travel Pack