Wellbeing and Mental Health

Students moving to Chester and Warrington are strongly advised to register with the local GP service.

Clarification on roles of members of the Medical Centre team:

• Doctor – Qualified General Practitioner.  Can diagnose, manage, treat and refer to secondary care.
• Nurse Clinician or Nurse Practitioner – completed master’s level training including prescribing and clinical examination.  Can diagnose, manage, treat and refer to secondary care.
• Practice Nurses – specialise in Long Term Conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease
• Treatment room nurses – perform certain tasks such as vaccinations, dressings, contraception reviews, travel advice
• Health Care Assistant – supports the nursing time by carrying out a defined list of tasks, including injections, ECGs, dressings, blood pressure and other tests.
• Phlebotomist – performs blood tests

Practice Information
Each medical practice will have their own website with full information about the practice and services provided.

Some GP’s offer a service called Patient Access meaning you can book appointments, order prescriptions and view your medical records via an app.  E-Consult is another valuable tool as you have access to a virtual GP who can advise on a variety of issues.  Visit the GP website for more information.

They don’t do this to discriminate or to treat you differently. In some practices there is a nurse-led service for the students. New patients are triaged to the correct person.

This is to prioritise problems and ensure patients are seen by the correct person at the correct time. You don’t always need to see a doctor. In a large team of clinical staff it is often more appropriate to see a Nurse or Nurse Practitioner, or even someone outside of the practice, for example, the local pharmacist. In West Cheshire there is a service provided by the pharmacies called Pharmacy First.

The Nurse Practitioner is very experienced in providing assessment and treatment for a full range of medical conditions and offers advice and support in all areas of health and well-being. In addition a Nurse Practitioner can usually prescribe medication for a full range of medical conditions.

There is a screening campaign in West Cheshire which aims to reduce the prevalence of Chlamydia in the community. This is why all young people aged 16-25 are offered a test even if no symptoms are evident and you are attending the practice concerning another issue.

Students are strongly advised to sign up with a local GP. You can still use your home GP when you return home during term breaks and the summer as GP’s are obliged to register you as a temporary resident.

Out of hours – When the practice is closed if you require urgent medical assistance and cannot wait until the surgery re-opens, please call 111. Calls to NHS 111 service are free from landlines and mobiles. Ambulances and A&E should be for Accidents and Emergencies only. Chest pains and/or shortness of breath constitute an emergency. Call 999.

It is recommended that you are up to date with all other vaccinations. You can speak to your GP about this. 

Some of our courses may require you to have vaccinations, or provide documented evidence of immunisation against Measles, Rubella, Tuberculosis (TB), Chicken Pox and Shingles (Varicella Zoster Virus).

You may also be required to be vaccinated against the Hepatitis B virus. This is essential under UK Health and Safety Regulations for those who will come into contact with blood or blood products.

If your course requires vaccinations, you will be contacted with further details.

If students choose not to be vaccinated, their learning experiences and choice of work placement may be severely limited – reference to vaccinations can be found on PASS (our Pre-Arrival Student Site).

Students may also be required to undertake a pre-placement medical check as part of Occupational Health. This is an online process, and students will be contacted with details of how to apply.

Young people starting university are strongly encouraged to get the MenACWY vaccine against Meningitis. You may have already received the vaccine at school but it is important you check with your GP.

Please make sure you are protected against this potentially fatal disease. Please also remain vigilant for signs of the disease.

If you recognise any of these symptoms contact your doctor urgently or call NHS 111.

Our Student Wellbeing Advisers are a team with a broad range of knowledge of university processes and support options available to you as a student.

You can book an appointment with one of our advisers, that lasts up to 45 minutes, which may take place over the telephone, video call, or in person at some sites.

During this appointment, you can talk about anything that may be affecting your wellbeing or studies. The adviser will listen, give advice and support options, and will create a personalised action plan to support you in your next steps. The advice will vary and will be tailored to your needs. Actions that an adviser may suggest include:

• Practical strategies (something you can try yourself).
• Online support groups, courses and resources.
• Wellbeing sessions.
• Encouraging engagement with Study Skills, or talking about extensions and deferrals.
• Suggestions to engage with other services such as Counselling, Disability and Inclusion, Volunteering and Mentoring or Chester Students’ Union.
• Linking you to support outside of the University.

To make an appointment with a Wellbeing Adviser, you can call or email our central Student Services Helpdesk at studentservices@chester.ac.uk or 01244 511550.

Our Counsellors provide a short-term counselling service, normally 4 – 6 sessions, which students can refer themselves to. They can help with all sorts of concerns. Some of the common themes seen by our counsellors include:

• stress
• anxiety
• depressed mood
• low self-esteem
• interpersonal problems.

Counsellors provide a dedicated, safe space to work with you in achieving your counselling goals.

To find out more about our counselling service, please call or email our central Student Services Helpdesk on studentservices@chester.ac.uk or 01244 511550.

Students who are experiencing emotional or psychological distress may also be referred to our Mental Health Advisers. They can provide guided self-help and support, links with local mental health services and education about managing mental health. This referral can come from a Wellbeing Adviser, Counsellor, or our Student Services Helpdesk

In more urgent circumstances, we offer same-day appointments with an Adviser from the Wellbeing and Mental Health team. This service is used for students facing a pressing situation, for example, a student who is experiencing thoughts of suicide, is at risk of homelessness or is a survivor of domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Our central Student Services Helpdesk will explore your situation with you and ensure you are offered the right service for your needs, just call or email studentservices@chester.ac.uk or 01244 511550.

If you are a Care Experienced or Estranged Student, are a student who is a Carer, or are from the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showmen or Boater (GRTSB) community, we offer additional support, including a financial support package. This dedicated support is provided by a Student Wellbeing Adviser throughout your studies.

As a complement to our one-to-one support, the Wellbeing and Mental Health team delivers regular group sessions throughout the academic year. Some examples of sessions that took place last academic year include:

• A four-part relaxation programme to promote calm and help with anxiety and stress.
• Online self-help sessions on topics including motivation and mood, sleep, social anxiety and overcoming unhelpful thinking.
• A male mental health group aimed at providing a safe space for men to talk about their mental health.
• Look After Your Mate, an accredited training course for students to develop the confidence to support any friends who may be struggling, as well as look after themselves in the process.
• Calm and supportive in-person events for students experiencing social anxiety and shyness wishing to connect with others.

Our networks are a safe space for students who may have a shared background or be going through similar experiences to connect, support and share tips and information with each other.

We currently have the following networks:

• Student Parent Support Network
• Student Menopause Network
• Student LGBTQ+ Network
• Men’s Network
• Care Experienced Peer Support Group
• Estranged Students Peer Support Group
• Care Peer Support Group

Current students can discover the latest information on our current sessions and how you can join.

If you have any questions or have a great idea for a session, group or network, please get in touch by emailing studentservices@chester.ac.uk.

Our teams work Monday-Friday during office hours and mostly offer scheduled appointments. However, we understand that life’s problems, mental health issues and other concerns don’t always fit neatly into those boxes and that sometimes, you just need to talk to someone there and then. We know some students are parents, have placements, are working or have caring commitments and want to access support in the evenings or early mornings.

To support with these needs, we have a 24/7 Student Assistance Programme (SAP) which you can access 365 days of the year. You can call our dedicated helpline on 0800 028 3766 at any time to access emotional support and practical guidance.

Through this service, you can speak with legal advisors and medical professionals. If English isn’t your first language, SAP also provides a language line that connects you to an interpreter so you can chat in your preferred language.

You can access up to six video or telephone-based counselling sessions per issue, per academic year with a qualified therapist from a diverse team. Current students can read more about our Student Assistance Programme here.

Anxious about talking on the phone? Current students can access support via Live Chat on the Wisdom app. 

Free for all students, the Wisdom app provides a Live Chat feature so you can receive virtual support when a Counsellor is online and available. 

On the app you’ll also find lots of useful wellbeing and mental health features, including: 

• Wellbeing trackers 
• Mini health checks 
• Four-week structured health plans 
• Access to lots of useful videos and podcasts, including yoga workouts, recipe ideas and guided meditation.