Health advice

GP registration

In order to access healthcare, students are required to be registered with a doctor near to where they are living while at the University. 

A GP registration session will be detailed on your induction week timetable. During this session, you will register with St Mary's Surgery, the most local surgery to the University and halls of residence. If you miss this session, you can register with them directly - visit their website for details, or call them on 023 8033 3778.

Students can also register at Solent GP Surgery, based at the Royal South Hants hospital. You can register with them online, visit them in person, or call 0300 123 7651.

If you are a returning student and have moved to a new house over the summer (or out of halls), you need to ensure that your NHS registration is still valid with the medical practice where you were registered last year. This can be done by notifying your surgery of the change of address. If you are advised to register with a new surgery, the NHS website provides a list of services nearest to your postcode.

There is also a large supply of information leaflets on a variety of health-related subjects freely available in the Student Hub, as well as information about registering with a dentist.

If you are an international student, you can find more information here.

Sexual health

The nearest sexual health clinic is based in the Royal South Hants (RSH) hospital, a five minute walk from the University. You can book appointments online, or call them on 0300 300 2016. 

Meningitis

All first year students are now advised to have the Men ACWY vaccine prior to their arrival at Solent University to protect you against four strains of meningitis and septicaemia. This can be done by your doctor at home (you should automatically receive a letter if you are aged 17 or 18) and should not cost you anything.

Meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia come in two main forms - bacterial, which is very serious and requires urgent treatment with antibiotics, and viral, which is more common and is rarely life-threatening.

Symptoms in adults include:

• High temperature, fever, possibly with cold hands and feet.
• Vomiting, sometimes diarrhoea.
• Severe headache.
• Neck stiffness (unable to touch the chin to the chest).
• Joint or muscle pains, sometimes stomach cramps.
• Dislike of bright lights.
• Drowsiness.
• Fits.
• The person may become confused or disoriented.

If you suspect that you or somebody else has meningitis, contact your/their GP immediately, or call NHS Direct on 111.

For more information on Meningitis, you can call the Meningitis Now helpline on 0808 80 10 388, or visit their website.

Sickness absence

Solent University does not require you to submit a certificate to confirm the reason for short-term absence; you can log your absence on the absence app. However, if your absence affects an examination or piece of assessed work, you will require a doctor's certificate to confirm any illness if you wish to apply for extenuating circumstances. 

If your sickness absence continues for a longer period of time, there may be concerns about missed learning, and you may wish to discuss your options with an adviser in the Student Hub, including suspending your studies.

Emergencies and first aid

If you are injured or are taken ill while on campus, your immediate needs will be dealt with by qualified first aiders. For any first aid emergency at Solent University please head to the nearest reception area, or alert a member of our estates team (in the purple t-shirts) or call the University on 023 8201 3000. Be ready to state your name, the nature of the injury and where the incident has taken place.

Should you fall ill while in your hall of residence, Residence Assistants or security teams will be able to assist you and call a doctor or the emergency services on your behalf.