It’s Freshers week. And for many of our new students here at Lincoln, that may mean their first time living away from their parents.
It may seem tempting to go to the doctors when you think you’re dying of your first Shuffle-induced hangover or the latest strain of the dreaded ‘freshers flu’, but trust us, you’re not!
We have put together a short guide of when to call or not to call your GP, and the best tips to keep the health centre running smoothly during one of their busiest periods of the academic year.
Gina Eveson, Administrator at the university’s health centre shared these top tips for students to help the centre run at maximum efficiency this semester:
* Use the health centre’s text service. It’s easy to register, and you will get a text to confirm the details of your appointment, plus a reminder the day before to help you keep on top of your schedule!
* Always attend, and try to be on time. The main cause of delays in the waiting room is when patients fail to attend, or attend their appointments late. Wasting appointments deprives others of them that may be in greater need.
* Use common sense. With minor ailments, pop in to a pharmacy and speak to a pharmacist first. They may have something they can sell you over-the-counter to help treat your problem, and if not, they’ll recommend that you see your GP.
* Never call the health centre with issues like broken bones or chest pains- they can’t help you with these. Call 999 or go straight to A&E.
* If you need an on-the-day appointment, you need to call the health centre at 8am, or be outside of the doors at 8am when they open. Only advance appointment bookings will be taken after this time.
* Do you need an advance appointment, or on-the-day? Bear in mind that advance appointment waiting time can be as long as three weeks, so if it’s urgent, you need to speak to the health centre first thing in the morning.
* Need contraception? The health centre recommends that you book your appointment as soon as you open your last pack of tablets to ensure that you get seen before you run out!
But the best way to stay healthy at uni, especially during Freshers week, is to keep stocked up on vitamin C, plenty of sleep (when you can!) and lots of water. You’ll thank us later, promise!