Your first week in Whitehaven: a checklist for moving for work

You've got the job, found somewhere to live and made the drive to the coast. The first week in a new town is busy: a new shift pattern, a new team, and a list of small jobs that are easy to forget until you need them. This checklist covers the things worth sorting in your first few days in Whitehaven, Egremont or Workington, so nothing catches you out later.

1. Register with a GP

It's tempting to leave this until you're ill, but it's much easier to do while you're well. According to the NHS website, everyone in England can register with a GP surgery for free, and most surgeries let you register online.

You only need basic details: your name, date of birth and address. The NHS says you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status, and you don't need to know your NHS number. Registration usually goes through within about five days of the surgery getting your details, though it can take longer.

If you're only here for a short contract or placement and want to keep your GP back home, you can register as a temporary patient for up to three months. You can also register near where you work rather than where you live, but not every surgery accepts patients from outside its area, and the NHS warns this can limit home visits and urgent care. Use the "Find a GP" search on nhs.uk to see which local surgeries are taking patients.

Working at West Cumberland Hospital? You'll still need your own GP. Being on the staff doesn't register you as a patient.

2. Tell DVLA your new address

If you drive, this one matters. GOV.UK says it doesn't cost anything to change the address on your driving licence, and you can do it online or by post. It also says you can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't tell DVLA when your address changes.

If you own a car, the address on its log book (V5C) needs updating too. GOV.UK says this is usually free. Both are worth doing in your first week, because the post that follows (a new licence, a new log book) needs to reach you at the right address.

If you're only here for a short contract and keep a permanent home elsewhere, read the GOV.UK pages first to see what applies to you.

3. Check whether you need a TV Licence

This surprises a lot of people who move into a shared house. TV Licensing explains that it depends on your tenancy:

• If housemates have signed one joint tenancy agreement, one licence usually covers the house.
• If each tenant has their own tenancy agreement for their room and watches TV there, TV Licensing says each one needs their own licence. That licence also covers the shared areas, such as the kitchen or lounge.

If you only watch on-demand streaming and never watch live TV, the rules may be different. Check the "Do I need a licence?" pages on tvlicensing.co.uk for your own situation rather than guessing.

4. Update your address everywhere else

Once you've got a postcode, work through the people who need it. A quick list:

• Your bank and any credit cards, so statements and new cards reach you
• Your employer or agency payroll, so payslips and tax letters reach you
• Your mobile network, especially if you pay monthly
• Your car insurance, because your postcode is part of your policy
• Any professional body you're registered with, if your job needs one

5. Learn your way around

West Cumbria is easy to get to know. West Cumberland Hospital is in Hensingham, on the edge of Whitehaven. The Cumbrian Coast railway links Whitehaven and Workington with Sellafield, and buses run between the towns. If you're still deciding where to live, our guide Moving to West Cumbria for work: which town? compares all three.

In your first week, find your nearest supermarket, pharmacy and cash machine, and try the commute at the time you'll really be travelling, especially if you start early or finish late. Whitehaven's harbour and the coast path are a good way to switch off after a long shift.

6. Things you won't need to do in one of our rooms

Much of a normal first-week list is setting up bills: gas, electricity, water, council tax and broadband, each with its own account, contract and first payment. In our rooms all of those are already included in one weekly rent, so you can skip that part of the list.

Your room is furnished with fresh bedding, the Wi-Fi is already on, you get in with a keypad so there's no key handover, and the shared kitchens and bathrooms are cleaned every week. Double rooms start from £145 a week and ensuite rooms from £185 a week. If you're not sure how that compares with renting a whole flat, read Flats and rooms to rent in Whitehaven: which suits you?.

A note on the rules

This guide is a practical starting point, not legal advice. Rules change, and your situation may be different from the examples here, so check the official pages (nhs.uk, GOV.UK and tvlicensing.co.uk) before you rely on anything.

Next step

Still looking for somewhere to live? Tell us your start date and roughly how long you're staying, and we'll send photos of the room that's free, with the price. See rooms and prices or read what our tenants say.