If you are hospitalised

We aim to contact British nationals within 24 hours of being told they have been admitted to hospital.

We don’t usually contact or visit people who have travelled specifically for medical treatment.

If you are in hospital as a result of an assault or other crime, we will visit you as soon as possible.

How you are

In all other cases, we will take account of factors such as your condition, your ability to speak on the phone, whether you have relatives or friends with you, whether you have a tour company representative and the standard of medical facilities, before deciding whether a visit is appropriate.

If we decide it is, and there is a British embassy in the same city as the hospital which you are in, we aim to visit you within 48 hours of being told that you have gone into hospital.

Contacting your family

We can also contact your family or friends in the UK to tell them that you are in hospital if you want us to.

If asked, we can help you to liaise with your insurance company or medical evacuation company. Remember to keep any receipts or doctors’ notes in case you need them to make a claim. We may also be able to help you communicate with hospital staff if they do not speak English.

If you have a mental illness

Facilities for dealing with mental illness vary widely around the world. In some countries there are not enough resources, in others expensive privately-run clinics are the only real option and, in some places, people with mental illness may be detained by the police instead of being admitted to hospital.

If you are mentally ill and want our help, we will do our best to make sure you receive it, wherever you are. But we cannot provide this help and advice ourselves.

Medication

If you have run out of a prescribed medication we can give you information on getting supplies locally. You should be aware, however, that in some countries your medication might be banned or unavailable.

If necessary, we can help local medical staff contact medical staff, friends or family in the UK who may be able to advise on your medical history and who may be the most appropriate people to offer continued support if you return to the UK.

Paying for treatment

You may find that your insurance policy does not cover mental illness, or is not valid because you did not declare a pre-existing condition. In these cases, you or your family must expect to pay for any treatment.

Our consular staff can be a lifeline for British nationals who find themselves in hospital in Egypt, seriously ill or badly injured without any other relatives or friends to help them. We try to do as much as we can knowing that a British national in hospital here may feel frightened and lonely, even more so if they cannot speak the local language. Knowing that someone cares for their well being can be a great comfort.

We aim to:

• contact the hospital within 24 hours, and try to visit if requested to do so. This does not apply to people who have gone abroad specifically to get medical treatment.
• pay particular attention to cases involving vulnerable British nationals, e.g. minors, the elderly, disabled or mentally ill.
• we can help if the person would like their next of kin informed of their hospitalisation.
• we can try to expedite a claim to the British national’s medical insurance company if necessary.


Useful telephone numbers 
The contact details below are offered in good faith but the British Embassy can accept no responsibility for their accuracy or for services offered by the organisation listed.

Some hospitals in Cairo 
Misr International Hospital Tel:760 8261 – 9
Anglo American Hospital Tel: 7356162-5
AI-Salam International Hospital Tel: 524 0250
AI-Salam Hospital Tel: 302 9091/2/3/4/5
El-Nil Hospital (Psychiatric help) Tel: 358 1433/671/542
Behman Hospital (Psychiatric help) Tel: 555 7551
Namero (Rabies Vaccine) Tel: 684 1375/6/7/8/9 Ext 379
Nursing Support Services Tel: 525 5385

Hospitals in Alexandria 
Alex Scan Centre
5436911, 5462512, 5438360
Alexandria International Hospital
4207243, 4207244
Alexandria Medical Centre
4272652, 53, 58, 59
Fax: 4273506
Armed Forces Hospital
5466026, 5466805, 06
Dr Ibrahim Obaid Hospital
5833232, 5825026
Egyptian British Hospital
4274777, 4270355
El Madina El Tebia Hospital
5432150, 5437402, 5433505
German Hospital
5841806, 5857682, 5857683