A relative in Nigeria has been admitted to hospital and you are in the UK: what to do
Get one named person at the hospital, one named person at the bedside, and one written account of the diagnosis and plan; then deal with the bill. Most of what goes wrong from abroad is six people with six versions and nobody holding the discharge.
By Kinship · Updated 19 September 2026 · 5 min read · Information, not advice.
The first two hours
- Ask who at the bedside can speak to the doctor, and get the name of the doctor responsible for the case.
- Ask for the diagnosis and the plan in plain words. Write it down. Ask what would change it.
- If there is an HMO, make sure the hospital has requested the authorisation code; emergencies are treated first and coded within 48 hours.
- Ask what deposit the hospital wants and get its account details from the billing office.
The first two days
- One family member holds the thread. Everyone else gets their update from that person, not from the ward.
- Ask daily: what has changed, what is the plan for tomorrow, and when is discharge likely.
- Keep the receipts and the running bill in the member's name.
- Start the discharge conversation early: what medicines, what follow-up, what they must not do, and who at home will make sure of it.
After discharge
Discharge is where recovery goes wrong. Medicines are missed, the follow-up is not booked, and a relative says they are fine because they do not want to worry you. A weekly visit by a qualified nurse for the first month or two, with a Kinkeeper reading each report and a doctor available in the app, is the shape most families want at exactly this point.
Questions people ask
Should I fly out?
If you can, for the discharge rather than the admission. The admission is handled by the hospital; the weeks after it are handled by whoever is there.
How do I pay the bill from the UK?
Transfer into the hospital's Nigerian bank account by app; see the separate guide below.
Support after a hospital stay
If this is your situation, the page below shows how a Kinship Plan applies to it, with prices.
Support after a hospital stayRelated
Sources
- NHIA emergency authorisation rules (Channels TV, April 2025)
- Lagos hospital deposits (lagos.cool, May 2026)
Prices in naira are quoted with their date because they move. Nothing on this page recommends a named provider.