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A Snapshot into.. Surrey

• March 08, 2021

Located in the South East of England, Surrey is a county that is only a thirty-minute train ride away from London. With a population of 1.9 million, its rich history and culture as well as its abundance of green spaces makes it the perfect place to live if you want the advantages that go hand-in-hand with being close to London, but the beauty and tranquility of the countryside. It is home to Guildford, Woking, Dorking, Farnham and Epsom.

The NHS in Surrey 

Surrey and Sussex HealthCare NHS Trust - provides emergency and non-emergency services to the residents of east Surrey, north-east West Sussex, and South Croydon. The Trust is a major local employer, with a diverse workforce of over 4,000 providing healthcare services to a growing population of around 535,000.

Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust -  offer an extensive range of services, including cancer, pathology, surgery, and gynaecology to over 490,000 people in south west London and north east Surrey. The Trust operates two busy general hospitals, Epsom Hospital and St Helier Hospital

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust - provides NHS hospital services for around 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and south Buckinghamshire. The Trust has over 8,500 staff

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust - provides a range of acute and specialist services across multiple hospital sites. The Trust is also a regional cancer centre and provide many world class services.

Facts about Surrey

• It is England’s leafiest county and has the highest concentration of trees in the UK.
• They hold fun, charity races every year, including a pram race, a raft race, and yes, even a plastic duck race!
• William the Conqueror ordered for Guildford Castle to be built in 1066.
• Sir Roger Moore (who played James Bond!) believes that he saw a ghost in his hotel room in the Guildford Angel Hotel!
• Whilst staying at the White Horse in Dorking, Charles Dickens wrote much of his “Pickwick Papers”.
• Dorkings’ Emblem is a five-toed cockerel.
• The Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking is the oldest Mosque in Britain and was built in 1889.
• In H.G. Wells’ book, War of the Worlds, he had the Martians’ first landing take place on Horsell Moor in Woking, as Wells lived there during the time he was working on the book.
• Brookwood Cemetery, located in Woking, is the largest Cemetery in Britain.
• Leith Hill can be found in Dorking and is the highest point in the South East of England.

Cost of Living in Surrey

Accommodation

One-Bedroom Apartment in the City Centre	£1,106.25
One-Bedroom Apartment Outside of the City Centre	£816.67
Three-Bedroom Apartment in the City Centre	£1,761.67
Three-Bedroom Apartment Outside of the City Centre	£1,331.25

Transportation

1ltr Petrol	£1.29
One-Way Public Transport Ticket	£4.15
Monthly Public Transport Ticket	£95.65
1km Taxi Journey	£2.50

Entertainment

Meal out for two in a local pub	£30
Meal out for two in a mid-range restaurant with three courses	£50
Cinema Tickets for two people	£24
One month of gym membership	£46.67
Beer 0.5ltr bottle	£4.00
Coke/Pepsi 0.33ltr bottle	£1.46
Cappuccino	£2.81

Time it Takes to Travel to other Cities in the UK from Surrey by Train

London – 35 Minutes

Birmingham – 2 Hours 35 Minutes

Manchester 3 Hours 12 Minutes

Liverpool – 1 Hour

Bristol - 2 Hours 15 Minutes

Cardiff - 2 Hours 38 Minutes

Edinburgh - 5 Hours 31 Minutes
 

Education in Surrey

Surrey has 220 Primary Schools, 59 Secondary Schools, 49 Sixth Forms and Colleges and 3 Universities. Most schools in Surrey have an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ and a large quantity have received ‘Outstanding’, with very few schools being given a lower rating than this.

The University of Surrey is the 35^th best university in England.
 

Things to do in Surrey
 

Guildford Castle

A fantastic family day out, and a way to explore the history of Surrey, and Guildford in particular. The castle is open all week between April and September and on weekends in March and October. This historic castle features a viewing platform on the roof, offering a panoramic view of Guildford’s breathtaking countryside. Inside, you will find a model of how the castle would have once looked so thank you can get an idea of what it would have been like when it was first built.  Entry is inexpensive, adult tickets currently cost £3.50, children’s tickets cost £2.00 (under 5’s get free entry) and you can also buy a family ticket for two adults and two children for £10.
 

Leith Hill Tower

Built in 1765 by Richard Hull of Leith Place, Leith Hill Tower marks the highest point of South East England at 1029ft! You can reportedly not only look out over the countryside but even gaze out at the English Channel and in the right conditions, catch a glimpse of Big Ben! With a whopping 78 steps, this one is probably best attempted on a day when you’re feeling ambitious!
 

Thorpe Park

Located in Chertsey, Thorpe Park is a family amusement park. It features a themed hotel, but it is also possible to stay in hotels nearby and just buy tickets to enter the park. For more adventurous souls, there are a number of adrenaline inducing rollercoasters as well as a number of high intensity rides. If you’re not a fan of roller coasters and water rapid rides, they have a relaxing beach-themed area where you can lounge by the pool, and kids can enjoy the water slides or have a splash in the pool. They also have a number of children’s rides and attractions for younger family members. Prices vary depending on how long you plan to stay and if you intend to stay on site in their hotel, but a day ticket for entry to the park and for access to the attractions currently starts at £33.
 

The Lightbox

The Lightbox is an art gallery and museum located in Woking, perfect for anyone with a flair for the artistic. They often host events including comedy nights and poetry readings, as well as activities for kids. Entry to The Lightbox is free for adults and children, however if you wish to view the main or upper galleries, you’ll need to purchase a day ticket which currently costs £7.50. It’s also easily accessible for less able visitors. 
 

British Wildlife Centre

A perfect day out for animal lovers, the British Wildlife Centre is located in Lingfield, and features a number of creatures native to the UK. Among the pine martens, red foxes, otters, owls and badgers, they also boast Britain’s first walk-in red squirrel enclosure. If you get peckish, there’s also a café and gift shop on site, as well as a picnic area for a sunny day! An adult ticket currently costs £12, and a child’s ticket (aged 3-15) costs £8.50. They also have a family ticket that costs £37 for two adults and two children.
 

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

The perfect venue for a more cultural day out, the theatre offers numerous pre and post West End performances, as well as comedy, opera, ballet, and children’s theatre. The theatre is also home to the Riverbank Café where you can dine or simply enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine, making it the perfect place to eat whether you’re attending a matinee or evening performance.

Relocating to Surrey

If you’re an international doctor looking to relocate to Surrey, or another location in the UK, please email you CV to [email protected] and we can support you in securing an NHS post and on your journey to relocate to the UK.

Are you a member of our Facebook group? When you join IMG Advisor, you will join a community of doctors all looking to relocate to the UK and join the NHS. We post a series of blogs and vlogs into the group every single day. We will also always be on hand to answer all your relocation queries.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel! We have over 45 videos on everything you need to know about relocating to the UK and joining the NHS!

Listen to BDI Resourcing on the go with our Podcast, IMG Advisor. You can find us on Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher and Buzzsprout. We have a number of episodes with tips and advice on relocating to the UK and the routes you can take to achieve this.

References

Living, C. and Kingdom, U. (2019). Cost of Living in Surrey. [online] Numbeo.com. Available at: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Surrey-United-Kingdom 

Smith, J. (2019). 9 astonishing things you might not know about Guildford. [online] getsurrey. Available at: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/9-astonishing-things-you-might-14620909 

Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station. (2019). Surrey - Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station. [online] Available at: https://www.funkidslive.com/take-me-out/attractions/things-to-do-around-the-uk/surrey/# 

Visitsurrey.com. (2019). Weird & Wonderful Facts about Surrey - Official tourism website for Surrey. [online] Available at: https://www.visitsurrey.com/ideas-and-inspiration/weird-and-wonderful 

Mail Online. (2019). Why Surrey really is leafy: County found to have highest concentration of trees in exhaustive survey that shows there are 280million in England and Wales. [online] Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2841951/Why-Surrey-really-leafy-County-highest-concentration-trees-exhaustive-survey-shows-280million-England-Wales.html

Fhft.nhs.uk. 2021. About us | NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust. [online] Available at: <https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/about-us/> [Accessed 8 March 2021].