Doctor s Letter Request. While you are a volunteer overseas, you will be insured under Project Trust s emergency medical insurance policy.

Transcription

1 Doctor s Letter Request While you are a volunteer overseas, you will be insured under Project Trust s emergency medical insurance policy. This means that you will be required to pay up front for non urgent, necessary treatment while you are overseas. Should the treatment you receive cost more than 250, you can make a claim for the amount you have spent over and above 250 by sending receipts detailing your treatment to Project Trust. In the event of an emergency requiring immediate hospital treatment overseas, First Assist guarantees the costs for your treatment. This means that you should not be required to make upfront payments for emergency medical treatment. You or your parents will however be invoiced for the 250 excess at a later date. In order to qualify for this cover, you will need to provide Project Trust with a letter from your doctor, stating that you are fit and well enough to travel and spend a year overseas in another country. It is also absolutely vital that you make us aware of any pre-existing medical (including mental health) conditions that you have before you go overseas as this can not only invalidate the insurance cover, but also put in jeopardy the whole experience you have in your placement. Your doctor s surgery may decide to charge you a fee for providing a letter, but as you may already have spent a large amount on vaccinations, it may be worth reminding them that you are going to do voluntary work for a charity. Obtaining a letter of this type can take time, so please make sure you request it as soon as possible and post to the address noted below or a copy to Rory Goldring (rory.goldring@projecttrust.org.uk) by 1st June Example letter shown on page below:

2 Dr Susan Carruthers Hebridean Health Centre Tel May 2015 Project Trust Hebridean Centre Isle of Coll PA78 6TE To Whom It May Concern Re: Sam Jones As Sam s General Practitioner, I can confirm that he does not have any significant health problems. He does not need to take any regular prescription medicines. I consider him fit to travel and spend time abroad. S Carruthers Dr S. Carruthers General Practitioner

3 Basic Disclosure Instructions It is essential that Project Trust volunteers obtain a Basic Disclosure certificate prior to going overseas. This can be a lengthy process so please ensure that you apply online immediately. Once you have obtained the certificate, you must post this to Project Trust immediately; a certificate is often needed to obtain a visa. Below is advice on how to apply for a Basic Disclosure. How to apply for an Online Basic Disclosure: Go to Read the instructions on the page carefully and ensure you have the details required to hand and your card for payment ready. Press the next Start application button; If at any point you are asked Is the Basic Disclosure to be sent to an employer? you should select No ; Once you have received your Basic Disclosure certificate you must post it immediately to Project Trust at the address below: Peter Wilson The Hebridean Centre, Isle of Coll, Argyll, PA78 6TE If you have any questions about the above, please phone Disclosure Scotland in the first instance and if your query cannot be answered by them then please contact Peter Wilson at Project Trust by ing (peter.wilson@projecttrust.org.uk) or phoning on NON UK PASSPORT HOLDERS If you do NOT have a UK Passport then you CANNOT apply through Disclosure Scotland and you must obtain a criminal record check through some other means. This process can often take a long time so you must apply for one immediately. Republic of Ireland In the Republic of Ireland, you should send a written disclosure request to the Garda, clearly stating that you are making the request under section 4 of the Irish Data Protection Act 1988 and that you require all the information that may be held about you on computer. Please then send the information to the above address. Holland Karlijn Baker, the Dutch Project Trust Administrative Assistant will you to explain the process to follow.

4 InterHealth Information 1. Please go to the InterHealth website using the link below or type InterHealth into a search engine 2. Please go to Around the World at the top of the page. 3. Please go to the Search by country box and type in the country you are going to. 4. Information on your country will then be shown. 5. Start organising any additional vaccinations recommended on the webpage from your GP or Travel Centre. The InterHealth web page relevant to your country will also give you information on malaria tablets. We suggest that volunteers do not purchase malaria tablets until they have attended Training at which we will provide more detailed information about the number and type of tablets required for the country you have been placed in.

5 Insurance Although we have an emergency medical insurance policy, we do not cover personal belongings. If you choose to take expensive belongings overseas we suggest you obtain personal belongings insurance. Money Matters It is essential that volunteers are able to take cash out overseas especially when travelling. The best method of taking cash out does vary from country to country. Many volunteers take credit or debit cards with them. It is essential to check how much you have to pay per withdrawal and what security measures are in place in case your card is stolen or cloned. If taking a credit card, Visa or MasterCard, it is very important to give your parents/guardians power of attorney so that they are able to cancel the card should the need arise or check the transaction in the event of fraud. Some banks will not issue credit cards to those under 18, so it is important to do your research as soon as possible. Please note that we have encountered problems with volunteers trying to use Visa Electron cards overseas. We strongly advise that you obtain a Visa Debit or credit card, or a MasterCard. Some volunteers will also have their pocket money put directly into their UK accounts so being able to access this money is essential. You will be asked to provide details of these accounts before you leave so that Project Trust can deposit your pocket money monthly. Setting up bank accounts overseas can be extremely difficult and almost impossible in certain countries. It is unlikely that these accounts will be able to receive money directly from overseas. Also note that if you take cash with you overseas, make sure they are Bank of England notes as Bank of Scotland notes are not accepted in many countries. Travellers cheques can be useful and also provide a bit of security if they are stolen. The Post Office also offers a Travel Money Card Plus which is a useful way to use money overseas however there are other cards and providers available. Transferring money overseas, the internet has a number of money transfer companies that can be used such as Western Union and Money Gram however there are other providers available.