Medical Help Abroad: A Guide to Getting the Support You Need

When you're looking forward to a holiday, the last thing you want is to worry about what might happen if you become ill or have an accident while you're away.

But it's natural to want the reassurance of knowing where to turn if you need medical help in an unfamiliar country.

Who do you call? What if you can't find your policy documents? What if there's a language barrier? And can your travel insurance help?

At goodtogo, all our travel insurance policies include access to our 24-hour Emergency Medical Support. Our Emergency Medical Assistance team is just a phone call away, wherever you are in the world, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

We also provide English-speaking support, helping to give you reassurance when you need it most.  

Our contact number for emergencies is: +44 (0)1444 465 573. 

What should I do if I need medical treatment abroad? ¶

If you have an accident or fall ill while you're away, your priority should be to get to a local hospital or medical centre as soon as possible.

In an emergency, dial the local equivalent of 999 to get help straight away.  

• 112 works throughout the EU.

You can find a list of medical emergency numbers here: Emergency Numbers Worldwide | Adducation

For outpatient treatment, you can ask your hotel reception, Airbnb Host, cruise ship or tour representative for details of the nearest public medical facility. If you're unsure where to go, you can call our Emergency Medical Assistance team for advice.

Once you're at a hospital or medical centre, contact our team as soon as you can on +44 (0)1444 465 573. We can confirm to the hospital that travel insurance cover is in place and liaise with doctors on your behalf to help ensure you receive the most appropriate medical care.

If you need help with lost or stolen medication rather than hospital treatment, our team can also advise you on what to do next, including where appropriate, help with understanding how to access replacement prescribed medication abroad. 

Reassurance, wherever you are ¶

Being unwell in a foreign country can feel daunting, particularly if you're unfamiliar with the local healthcare system or there's a language barrier.

That's why our Emergency Medical Assistance team offers English-speaking support. Wherever you are in the world, our team is available by phone, day or night.

While every situation is different, and the treatment you may need will depend on your circumstances, you can have reassurance knowing that our Emergency Medical Support is available over the phone when you need it.

Please note, calling the Emergency Medical Assistance team is not the same as calling a freephone number, so standard call charges may apply depending on your phone provider, mobile plan and where you're calling from. If you're concerned about the cost of calling, check with your phone provider before you travel so you know what charges may apply.

Keep your assistance details close by ¶

There's no need to worry about trying to remember an emergency number. When you buy a travel insurance policy from us, we'll provide you with the contact number for our  

24-hour Emergency Medical Assistance service. ¶

We recommend keeping this number with you while you're away, so it's easy to find should you ever need medical assistance. You can also find the Emergency Medical Assistance number on our website if you can't access your policy documents.

It's a good idea to make sure you can access your goodtogo account before you travel too. Your goodtogo account is the account you have set up to purchase your policy. We recommend making sure you know your login details before you leave and keeping them somewhere secure. If you forget your log in details, you can simply request a new password, and we will email you a password reset link. If you can't find your physical policy documents when you need them, you can log in to your account to access your policy details online. 

Having your policy details to hand can also be useful if you need to show a hospital, medical provider or another relevant party that you have travel insurance in place. You may never need to use these details but knowing where to find them means you'll have the information you need if you do. 

Will my travel insurance help? ¶

Travel insurance is designed to cover unavoidable, unexpected emergency treatment. It isn't private medical insurance, and private medical treatment isn't covered where medically capable public facilities are available.

If you need medical treatment while you're away, our Emergency Medical Assistance team can help you understand what to do next and liaise with the hospital and doctors where appropriate.

The exact cover available will always depend on your policy terms and conditions.

If you've lost essential prescribed medication, contact the Emergency Medical Assistance team for advice about what to do.  We will pay up to the amount shown in the schedule of cover for the necessary cost of replacing essential medication lost or stolen during your trip. You will not be able to claim for replenishment of any medication you were using at the start of the trip. Other T&Cs apply. Please see your policy document for more information.  

Travel with the reassurance that help is at hand ¶

We hope you have a healthy and enjoyable holiday and never need our Emergency Medical Assistance service.

But whether you're travelling with a pre-existing medical condition or not, it can be reassuring to know that help is available if you fall ill or have an accident abroad.

With all goodtogo travel insurance policies, you'll have access to:

• 24-hour support, 365 days a year
• English-speaking support
• A worldwide Emergency Medical Assistance service

So before you travel, make sure you have your Emergency Medical Assistance number with you, and enjoy your trip knowing that, if you need medical treatment while you're away, our team is just a phone call away.

Travel insurance is subject to the terms and conditions of your policy.