Moving to London from India with a toddler on NHS medication — what do we need to know?
Hi everyone,
My family is considering a move to London later this year and I wanted to reach out to this community for honest, practical advice from those who have actually lived it — especially Indian families who have navigated the move with young children and without two incomes initially.
Our situation briefly:
I am moving for a senior corporate role. My wife is a lawyer who will not be working initially — she plans to pursue further qualification to practise in the UK. We have a 15-month-old son who has a confirmed neurological diagnosis requiring daily medical management. He is on multiple medications, is developmentally on track and doing well, but needs careful daily routines — specific feeding schedule, environmental sensitivity management, and an established care protocol. He is currently under an excellent specialist in India and the transition of his medical care is our biggest practical concern.
We are coming from Mumbai where we have full family support, a known medical system, established specialist care, a nanny, and a cook. We are under no illusions that London will feel the same initially — but we want to prepare as well as possible rather than land and figure it out.
What I would love your honest input on:
On the NHS:
• How quickly were you able to register with a GP on arrival and get a referral to a paediatric specialist? We have a complex paediatric case — how did the NHS handle urgent specialist referrals for a young child with an active diagnosis?
• Has anyone accessed tertiary paediatric care through NHS referral rather than privately? How long did it take and what was the realistic experience?
• For those with children on multiple medications — how smooth was the prescription transfer process from India? Any gaps we should prepare for?
• Is private health insurance worth having alongside NHS for complex paediatric cases or is NHS sufficient?
On finding the right nanny:
• Any experience finding nannies specifically experienced with medically sensitive or complex children in London? Which agencies, communities, or platforms were most useful?
• For Indian families specifically — how did you find Indian cooks or part-time household help? WhatsApp groups, temple communities, any specific platforms or approaches that worked?
• What should we look for and what should we avoid when hiring a nanny for a child with specific medical needs?
On the spouse transition:
• For non-working spouses who moved with partners — how did you find community and social connection in the early months? What helped most and what did you wish you had done differently?
• Any Indian women’s networks, professional communities, or cultural organisations in London that were genuinely useful?
• For those who pursued professional requalification after moving — how did you manage study alongside full-time caregiving? What support structures helped?
On first-month practicalities:
• What should we absolutely sort before landing versus what can wait until we arrive?
• Any India-to-UK specifics we should know — bank accounts, National Insurance, GP registration sequence, anything people typically miss?
• What were the unexpected challenges nobody warned you about — especially with a young child?
One specific ask:
If anyone has navigated the UK system with a child with ongoing medical needs requiring specialist paediatric care — we would genuinely love to hear from you directly. The medical transition is our biggest anxiety and ground-level experience is worth more than anything we can research online.
We are approaching this with open eyes. We know the first six months will be hard. We are not looking for reassurance — we are looking for honest practical advice from people who have actually done this.
Thank you in advance.