What will my first week look like when I relocate to the UK?
Hopefully you have now worked your way along the ‘candidate journey’ process, obtained your visa and are now ready to relocate to the UK to start your exciting new role in the NHS – congratulations!
In this blog we will give you an insight into what the first week will look like for you once you have landed.
Prior to your flight
Prior to your arrival to the UK, you should be having regular conversations with your trust, or dedicated recruitment expert who has been supporting you along your journey.
Organising temporary accommodation is a must and needs to be confirmed before you land.
If you have used an agency, your recruiter should ensure that you have somewhere to stay whilst you search for something more permanent.
Temporary accommodation will usually be offered as two options:
- hospital accommodation (providing there is space available)
- hotel/Bed & Breakfast
Hospitals usually have a variety of accommodation options from one bed shared accommodation to family accommodation. Sometimes hospital accommodation is contracted by private companies, therefore depending on which trust you are working with, charges and rates will vary.
If there isn’t a space available for you then there are plenty of hotels or Bed & Breakfasts available throughout the UK.
The top websites to search for hotels to stay in are below:
Alternatively, website airbnb will show you countless options for rooms, flats or houses throughout the UK. You can pick a time duration for your stay and pay a fee (which will be shown to you in the final stages of confirmation).
SpareRoom is also another website which gives you the option to stay in a spare room, share a flat or buddy up with someone.
Please note:
Most hospitals have long waiting lists for family accommodation which rarely become available. We usually recommend that if you will be relocating with your family it’s best to arrive by yourself in first instance. This gives you sufficient time to adjust, organise and settle. It is also easier & cheaper to find single temporary accommodation then it is to find for a family. By arriving alone it can give you time to find a house/flat (and furnish it) so that when your family arrive they will be comfortable.
Once you have landed
Once you have landed in the UK you should make sure that you have transport booked.
Top tip: Give your taxi driver or friend your flight number, as this allows them to check your flight for any delays and allow enough time for you to get through immigration and baggage.
You can find taxi numbers by writing in the airport name and taxis into Google - for example ‘London Heathrow Taxis’.
If you have been placed by a recruitment agency, they will often organise transport for you to.
Things to organise in your first week
There are several things you will need to organise and set-up so that you can be settled in your new role, as well as your new ‘home’.
You must collect your BRP (Biometric Residence Permit).
The Government website states that you must do this before the vignette sticker in your travel document expires, or within 10 days of arriving in the UK, whichever is later.
Make sure you check your decision letter as it will tell you where to collect your BRP from – which is usually:
- a Post Office branch
- your sponsor (if this was the option when you applied).
You will need to bring your passport or travel document with your vignette sticker on to collect your BRP.
More information on this can be found here.
Set up UK mobile number and SIM card
United Kingdom has a strong 4G coverage which come under a host of mobile phone operators (some offering 5G most recently in the larger cities).
When it comes to networks, most of the country has a strong 4G connection, even in towns and villages.
You have two options when it comes to setting up a phone, and that is either buying a SIM card, or joining a contract.
Both options usually offer deals, but it will be down to you to pick which one is most suitable for your needs, as for example, one deal could offer unlimited calls, texts and 10GB of Data, whereas another may offer unlimited texts, 250 minutes and 1GB.
You can use comparison websites to find the best deal, such as:
Setting up a bank account
To open a bank account you will need to provide the following:
- Proof of identity: this can be a passport, driving licence or national identity card. If you have come from overseas, your passport will suffice.
- Proof of address: this is generally shown by presenting a recent utility bill, rental contract, or council tax bill.
- Your BRP
As you are new to the UK, your trust should provide you with a letter which gives information on opening a bank account.
Again, you can also use comparison sites, including the ones stated above to find which bank will be most suitable for you.
If you need to transfer money overseas often, a lot of banks offer this feature without a fee, but this is something you will have to check on the banks website, or by speaking to them directly.
Introduction to your trust
It’s important that you are settled in your trust and that you have been introduced to various personnel & departments who you will need to liaise with.
Meeting with HR
You will be invited to meet the HR team so that they can see your original documents and complete any outstanding paperwork.
Visit Occupational Health
Before you can start you will have an appointment with Occupational Health to check your fitness to practise.
Trust induction
When you book an induction, someone from the hospital will show you around so that you have a tour of the trust, meet your colleagues, go through policies, health & safety and also have the opportunity to discuss your role, as well as any queries you may have.
IT training
This will give you an opportunity to use the trusts IT systems before starting.
All the above may or may not be completed within your first week, but they should be a priority for you and the trust so that you can integrated into your new role and home as quickly as possible.
Please note that due to COVID-19, guidelines are always changing when looking at visitors from other countries and what they need to do when they arrive in the UK.
To find out what you will need to provide or do, please click here and choose which part of the country you will be entering.
From there the website will give you the instructions on what to do.
