Medical care for families who move between countries

Why continuity matters when you move

Continuity means a doctor who knows your family’s history and a record that travels with you, and it is the first thing a move tends to break. Records end up in different clinics, in different languages, and each new doctor starts again.

Seeing a doctor who knows you is associated with better outcomes. A systematic review in BMJ Open found that 18 of 22 studies linked greater continuity of care with doctors to lower mortality, across 9 countries with very different health systems [1]. The studies were observational, so they show an association rather than proof of cause.

Children, and who can consent for them

Young children see a doctor more often than anyone else, so they feel a gap in care first. A study of more than 100 million consultations in English general practice found that consultation rates were highest in children under five and in the very old [2].

A parent with parental responsibility usually makes decisions for a young child, and should bring proof of it when it is asked for. Under UK data protection law a child’s health information belongs to the child, and a child who understands their rights can exercise them. In England and Wales that depends on the child’s understanding, while in Scotland a child aged 12 or over is presumed able to do so [3]. Teenagers often value a few minutes alone with the doctor, and a good clinic makes room for it.

Vaccinations when you arrive in the UK

Bring a written vaccination record for every child, because without one the UK approach is to plan a full course. UK Health Security Agency guidance says that unless there is a documented or reliable verbal history, a person should be assumed to be unimmunised [4]. A child who arrives part way through another country’s schedule moves onto the UK schedule as appropriate for their age, and a course that has started is resumed, with no need to restart it [4].

Schedules and vaccines differ between countries. The same guidance asks clinicians to identify which diseases a child has been protected against rather than relying on a brand name, because the same combination can carry different names abroad [5]. Timing matters too, since some vaccines have age limits, and rotavirus vaccine is not started after 15 weeks of age [5]. Coverage also varies widely around the world, and in 2025 about 85% of infants received three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine [6].

Keeping one record for each person

Keep a short health summary for each member of the family, with the original documents behind it. NICE guidance on moving between care settings lists what a medicines record should hold, including the name, strength, dose and frequency of each medicine, what it is taken for, recent changes and the reason for them, and any allergies with the type of reaction [7].

Before you leave a country, ask each clinic for copies of what it holds. In the UK you have a right to copies of your information, and organisations usually have one month to respond [8]. Ask for documents in English, or arrange a translation, so the next doctor can read them on the first visit.

A checklist before each move

Work through this for every member of the family a few weeks before you travel.

• A one page health summary, with diagnoses, operations and allergies
• A vaccination record in the original language and in English
• A list of medicines with strength, dose and what each is for
• Recent letters, results and scan reports, in date order
• Growth charts and development notes for young children
• Copies requested from every clinic you are leaving
• Proof of parental responsibility where a clinic may ask for it
• The name and number of the doctor who will see you next

Who it suits and who it does not

A doctor in one city who knows the whole family suits households that move often, live between two homes, or spend long stretches travelling. It works best when every record comes back to that one doctor.

A doctor by phone or video cannot examine a child, and some problems need a doctor in the room where you are. If a child or adult is seriously unwell, with difficulty breathing, a seizure, a high fever with a rash that does not fade, or severe bleeding, call 999 in the UK or the local emergency number.

How The Wellness can help

Each person in the family can hold their own membership, with their own record, and everyone can be added in one payment when you join [9]. Your doctor answers by phone or video from any country, and in London you are seen the same day at our clinics on Baker Street in Marylebone and Eccleston Street in Belgravia [9]. If you need to be seen in person abroad, we find a trusted local doctor or clinic, book you in and send your record ahead, and the visit is paid at our partner rates [9].

Children from birth to 18 can see a consultant paediatrician by secure video or in person in London [10]. Every doctor is GMC registered, regulated services are delivered through registered partner clinics and accredited laboratories, and appointments can be arranged with partners in 12 cities beyond London.