Health

We work with a broad range of medical specialists who deal with difficulties related particularly to performing musicians.

Registering with a doctor

You will need to register with a doctor (GP) close to where you live (usually within two miles).

You can find a list of doctors on the National Health Service (NHS) website.

To register, you will need to go to the surgery during consulting hours, taking with you your Academy ID card and proof of your address in the UK.

Students from abroad will then be issued with an NHS (National Health Service) number, without which it is not possible to refer patients for hospital opinions or treatment.

We have a relationship with Paddington Green Health Centre, a general practice that provides treatment and advice for most ailments, injuries (including performance-related injuries) and ill health.

Paddington Green Health Centre: PDF leaflet
4 Princess Louise Close, off Church Street, London W2 1LQ
Telephone 020 7887 1600 or 020 7887 1601.

You can apply for an HC2 certificate, which may allow you to get help with NHS prescription charges, sight tests and dental care if you have a low income. The application form is called HC1 and you can download or order it here.

If you are not from the UK but are studying on a course of six months’ duration or more, you can register with a doctor (GP) and receive health care from the National Health Service (NHS) on the same basis as UK citizens. Please look at the UKCISA Health and Healthcare advice page for guidance about this, and note the following details:

• If you have a visa to enter the UK, the visa application process includes an Immigration Health Surcharge, which allows access to the NHS.
• If you are from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, we advise that you read this guidance from UKCISA for EU/EEA/Swiss nationals about comprehensive sickness insurance and how this can affect your right of residence in the UK.

If you intend to travel outside the UK during your studies, we recommend you purchase an annual travel insurance policy before leaving home.

The Academy has named and trained first-aiders in the building.

We also have mental health first-aiders, who are here to help if the pressure gets too much or you just need a sympathetic ear.

Tuberculosis

If you require a Student Visa, you may need to take a tuberculosis test before you travel to the UK. This requirement is explained in the guidance available through https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa

Meningitis

If you are aged under 25, you are advised to have yourself immunised against meningitis.

New students under the age of 25 can access the meningitis vaccine from their NHS doctor (GP), or from Paddington Green Health Centre.

Students under 18

For Junior Academy details, please go here.

Very few students under the age of 18 years study at the Academy. In most cases it is for a short time during their first year of undergraduate study.

All students, irrespective of age, are treated equally and provided with the same support facilities, both academic and pastoral. However, where it is felt that special arrangements need to be put in place for students under 18, the Academy will ensure that these are provided.

For more information, please see our policy for students under the age of 18 years.

We believe in a preventive approach to performance-related injury by teaching excellent technique and providing a range of therapeutic disciplines including Alexander Technique, physiotherapy, Pilates and yoga. If physical issues arise, we can arrange access to a medical specialist.

At the Academy, we’re lucky to be able to offer students individual lessons in the Alexander Technique, free of charge, thanks to a fund established by the late Sir and Lady Colin Davis.

Although FM Alexander wasn’t a musician, his technique is seen by many musicians as indispensable. It helps to release tension, correct bad postural habits and keep your body aligned – all vital for getting the best out of your career in music.