A dedicated resource for all new and existing students living within Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Student health hub
The following information is designed for students to ensure you are able to get the right support from the health service during your time studying in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
You can download a quick checklist for your dorm or flat here.
Your local pharmacy is your first port of call for a full range of minor ailments. You do not need an appointment and there are hundreds of pharmacies across Greater Glasgow and Clyde. You can find your nearest one here.
What can your pharmacy treat
Your Pharmacist can help with many common ailments. There is no need to make an appointment.
Speak to your pharmacist first for advice on:
Allergies
Cold sores
Constipation
Coughs & colds
Diarrhoea
Mouth ulcers
Pain
Sore throats
Teething
Upset tummies.
Pharmacy First for UTI treatment and Impetigo
Pharmacy First is available from all community pharmacies in NHSGGC and allows patients to access FREE advice and/or treatment for: Impetigo (for those over two years of age) and uncomplicated urinary tract infection (for adult women aged 16-65).
When to use Pharmacy First
If you are a woman aged 16-65 with any of the following symptoms:
Burning or stinging sensation on passing urine
Need to pass urine frequently
Need to pass urine urgently.
If you are concerned you or your child may have Impetigo and show any of the following symptoms:
Minor skin infection on one area of the body
Red sores that pop easily and leave a yellow crust
Fluid-filled blisters
Itchy rash.
Your pharmacist will ask you about your symptoms in order to give you the right advice. You should be aware there are some exclusions which can prevent your pharmacist from treating you and you may need to be referred to your GP.
You must be registered with a GP practice in Scotland and should normally expect to attend the pharmacy to allow the pharmacist to assess your symptoms before deciding on whether to offer advice, treatment on the NHS or to refer you to another clinician.
All students living within Greater Glasgow and Clyde should ensure they are registered with a local GP.
Registering with a GP is free, and will ensure that if you need primary care, you will not need to go back home, or rely on A&E services which should only be used for very urgent or life-threatening illness and injuries.
What services does your GP provide?
Your GP provides:
Advice, information and prescriptions for any medicines you may need
Routine monitoring and management of ongoing health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease
Most contraceptive services, maternity services and immunisations
Screening such as smears and child health
Information on appropriate mental health and wellbeing services and referral when appropriate
Your registration will be confirmed by the GP practice.
What if you are an overseas student?
All overseas students studying within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are entitled to healthcare, including help from a GP.
You can find out more information at the NHS Inform website or call the NHS Informs helpline on 0800 22 44 88.
What if my GP is closed
If you’re GP is closed and you think you need to see a doctor and it can’t wait until your practice has reopened, you can access the GP out of hours service by calling NHS24 on 111.
Mental health and wellbeing support
If you, or someone you know, needs support for mental health, there are a number of options. Your college or university may have its own dedicated service.
When you need help
When you need help you should first contact your GP. Your GP can refer you to your local Community Mental Health Service. If you need support when your GP surgery is closed, call NHS 24 on 111.
You can also call Samaritans for help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call them on 116 123 (freephone) or email: jo@samaritans.org
Breathing Space offers a confidential phone line for anyone in Scotland feeling low, anxious or depressed. You can call free on 0800 83 85 87.
Sexual Health Support
The Sandyford provides specialist sexual health services for Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Find more information on services, opening times and clinic locations, visit: www.sandyford.org or watch the below video.
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing for people with symptoms
Assessment for people who have recently been exposed to an STI
Testing for people who may be at higher risk of STI or HIV
PrEP services
Contraception
Abortion services
Young people’s clinics
Vasectomy
Archway
Free Condoms.
If you have a sexual health emergency
During opening hours Sandyford provides specialist emergency sexual health services for:
Rape and Sexual Assault that occurred in the last 7 days – Archway Service 0141 211 8175
Exposure to HIV/ PEP access
Emergency Contraception 0141 211 8130
Abortion Services 0141 211 8620.
You do not need an appointment to access PEP. It is available from Sandyford Central, Monday to Thursday 8.30 am – 7.00pm and Friday 8.40am – 4.00pm
Dental support
In order to receive the full range of dental treatment and care under the NHS, you must be registered with a dentist. Your dentist will then provide regular check ups, planned routine treatment and emergency care, if required.
Which services do NHS dentists provide?
Routine check ups and any care required
Advise on how to keep your mouth healthy
Dental hygiene including scale and polish
Treatments such as fillings, crowns, tooth removal and root canal treatment
Braces
Wisdom tooth removal
Bridges and dentures (false teeth)
Emergency care if required.
How to register with a dental practice
Use Scotland’s service directory to find your nearest practice here.
Visit the website or practice website to find out joining options.
Submit necessary paperwork as outlined by the practice.
If you think you need to go to Accident & Emergency
If you require urgent care, but it’s not life-threatening, you should call your GP. If your GP is closed, you can call NHS24 to access NHSGGC’s virtual Accident and Emergency (A&E) Service which provides emergency telephone and video consultations.
If it’s a life threatening emergency, phone 999 and ask for an ambulance. You can also go directly to an A&E.
Get urgent care from home with the Virtual A&E service
All students can access NHSGGC’s virtual A&E service which provides emergency care consultations either through video or over the telephone. It means you can get urgent care without having to travel to a physical A&E.
Content Trade winds is an Interdisciplinary Resource Pack aimed at P5-P7 classes across Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board areas. The programme extends across all curricular areas and correlates with 44 Level 2 experiences and outcomes. Trade winds offers a holistic approach to tobacco education that goes beyond health and explores issues that are relevant to young people.
Topic G – Extending Children’s Learning through the Arts
It is recommended that delivery starts with ‘Topic A – Setting the Scene’ as this introduces learning on tobacco and gathers children’s knowledge on the topic. Teachers may then wish to explore a particular topic based on pupils’ interests or to select lessons from each topic. Further support and information, as well as resources to support the delivery of the lessons are available by e-mailing quityourway.smokefreeschools@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Published by Ash Scotland, as part 1 of the Tobacco-free Secondary Schools Resource, this guide is intended to support a school through the steps required in order to become a tobacco-free school. It explains the background, why it is important and key issues. This guide replaces the previous “Tobacco-free Schools – Helping You Achieve It” guide by Smokefree Services and Ash Scotland.
The guide breaks down the process into 10 steps – and these are laid out in a very practical way that is easy to follow. There is a suite of templates available to guide the schools through the process – these can be found in Appendix 1 and are fully editable Microsoft Word documents.
Accessing the pack
We have 1 printed copy of the resource for every secondary school in Greater Glasgow & Clyde. To request your free copy please email: Quityourway.smokefreeschools@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Accessing online
The tobacco-free schools pack, additional resources, tools and templates are all available online. To access the pack:
Two thirds of smokers start before they are 18. Most say they regret having done so. Every day in Scotland, a classroom full of young people take up smoking – that’s 15,000 young Scots each year. There are many different factors which lead young people to smoke, but the extent to which tobacco is prominent, normal or accepted around them plays a crucial part.
Quit Your Way Youth Service aims to give young people information about smoking and tobacco to allow them to make informed decisions. The service gives young people easy access to facts about smoking and information on how to access local support to stop smoking.
Quit Your Way Youth Service covers the following:
Stop Smoking Service for young people
Prevention and Education: resources and support for schools and youth organisations
Policy guidance for schools and youth organisations
Protecting families and communities from second hand smoke
Research and partnership working in tobacco prevention and control
The Jenny and the Bear resource is a story which is part of a coordinated programme and aims to increase awareness about the effects of second hand smoke on children and what parents/carers can do to ensure their children are not exposed to its harmful effects.
The programme is aimed at Primary 1 classes and consists of a story being read to the class followed by a classroom activity to agree a name for the bear in the story, which is then entered into the competition to win a Teddy Bear mascot for their classroom. All children who take part in the programme will be given a booklet version of the story to take home.
The second hand smoke message also links with the Scottish Government national “Take it right outside” campaign. See www.rightoutside.org for further information.
Programme Registration
Registration for the 2023-24 programme has now opened.
Also known as the Flow Navigation Centre, you can use this service to get quick, direct access to emergency care, either through a video or telephone consultation.
You can receive treatment from the comfort of home, without having to visit a busy A&E department.
When to use the Flow Navigation Centre
If you think you need to go to A&E, but it’s not life-threatening, and you can’tspeak to a GP, you can access the Flow Navigation Centre. To do so, call NHS 24 on 111.
The NHS24 triage team may feel you could benefit from a virtual A&E appointment and will refer you directly. Depending on your needs, they will provide more appropriate advice and treatment options.
If you get an appointment with the Flow Navigation Centre, a team of emergency care nurses and medics will provide you with a virtual, or telephone consultation.
Just like a physical A&E, after your consultation a number of things can happen:
You may receive self-care advice and told to phone back if your symptoms worsen
If you require physical treatment, you could be given a scheduled arrival time at one of our A&Es or Minor Injuries Units
You may be referred to a more appropriate specialist service.
The Flow Navigation Centre operates seven days a week and covers the whole of NHSGGC.
If your condition is life threatening, you should always call 999 or go straight to your nearest A&E.
Dementia is an illness that affects the brain, making it harder to remember things or think as clearly as before. Dementia can affect every area of human thinking, feeling and behaviour, but each person with dementia is different – how the illness affects someone depends on which area of their brain is damaged.
There are different kinds of dementia. The most common are Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia
In Alzheimer’s disease brain cells deteriorate through the build-up of a protein; vascular dementia is caused by problems in the supply of blood to brain cells. Many cases of dementia are caused by a mix of vascular damage and Alzheimer’s disease. Lewy body dementia is the next most frequently occurring illness, with fronto-temporal dementia then more commonly occurring in younger people.
Dementia is a common condition and there are around 90,000* people living with dementia in Scotland (*Alzheimer Scotland estimate for 2017). The older you are, the more chance there is of you getting dementia. When dementia occurs under the age of 65 years it is commonly referred to as Young Onset Dementia.
More Information
Worried About your Memory
Sometimes people are afraid that forgetfulness is the start of something else, like dementia. This can worry older people especially. People who have had a relative with dementia may also be particularly anxious about memory problems. Your memory may be nothing to worry about, as forgetfulness can be caused by a number of things such as chest or urinary infections, depression and the side effects of some medication. However, it is also important to seek help if you think you or someone you know may have dementia.
The Alzheimer Society also have useful information here. If you have concerns then you should phone your GP surgery to make an appointment. People with symptoms of dementia will receive a number of tests, which will be carried out by your GP, specialists and/or a Psychiatrist.
If you are diagnosed with dementia, your future health and care needs should be assessed and a care plan developed with you. It is important to remember that this is your care plan and should be used to find out what is important for you and what helps to keep you well and active. You should ask as many questions as you want and make sure that your wishes are known.
For more information about different ways in which dementia affects a person, you can look at Alzheimer Scotland’s leaflet 5 things you should know about dementia. This leaflet provides an overview of how dementia is caused as well as what options are available to support you or a relative to live well with dementia.
Many people live active and fulfilling lives with dementia, and more information from the Scottish Dementia Working Group can be found here.
If you receive a diagnosis of dementia you will be supported by a dementia link worker for at least a year to help you. This is called post-diagnosis support.
The Scottish Government have introduced a Five Pillars Model for post-diagnostic support which includes:-
Understanding the illness and managing symptoms
Planning for future and decision making
Supporting community connections
Peer support
Planning for future care
Your dementia link worker will work with you, your carers and/or family to help provide practical and emotional support following a diagnosis of dementia and help to link you into the services you may need and help plan for the future. Everyone experiences dementia differently and your link worker will provide person-centred support that suits your own individual needs.
Living well with Dementia
Living a healthy lifestyle is important for everyone, including people with dementia, and is the best way to continue to live well with dementia. Eating well and exercising are important for everyone. When you visit your GP, you should ask for advice on self-care; this should also be included in your care plan.
Keeping in contact with friends and family is important. It is also good to keep doing the things we enjoy and which make us unique individuals, whether gardening, walking or watching the football. With a little bit of support or adaptation, people with dementia should continue to enjoy their hobbies and interests.
You can live a good life with dementia – putting your affairs in order early on, and keeping well and as active as you can will help you live independently for as long as possible. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it – from family and friends, professionals like doctors, nurses, and social workers, and organisations like your local council or Alzheimer Scotland.
As your needs change and when you require more help, additional support can be provided through services such as your local Social Work office or Older Adults Mental Health Team (see Find out more). Services such as home care, respite, community psychiatric nurses or occupational therapists will work with you to keep you as independent as possible.
Dementia Friendly Exercises
NHSGGC Mental Health Physiotherapists, with funding from Alzheimer Scotland, have developed two resources on dementia friendly exercises for strength and balance.
Physiotherapists say these exercises can help improve co-ordination and balance.
Alzheimer Scotland’s Living with dementia webpage has further information and resources.
Symptoms of dementia
There are varying symptoms across the different types of dementia; however, you should look out for declining ability in:
Thinking
Memory
Understanding
Judgement
Behaviour
Language.
The symptoms of dementia often develop slowly over time and can cause increased difficulty in doing everyday activities such as cooking, shopping or handling money. Each person living with dementia is unique and will experience the illness in their own way. Different types of dementia tend to affect people differently, especially in the early stages. Dementia can also affect how we feel about things. This includes changes in mood, becoming become anxious and withdrawn, frustrated or irritable, easily upset or unusually sad.
Looking after someone with…Dementia
If someone you know is becoming increasingly forgetful or showing symptoms of dementia, you should encourage them to see their GP to talk about the early signs of dementia. If you, or a family member, has dementia, you may find it difficult to stay positive. Remember that you are not alone, and that help and support is available from local carers’ services. Support can include:
Income maximization
Emotional support
Short breaks
Advocacy
Training
Information and advice
Peer support
Health checks for carers.
Dementia link workers will work with you and the person you are caring for together.
The video below tells you more about the types of help that are available.
The It’s Ok to Ask DVD was produced by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Council, The Alliance and Alzheimer Scotland in 2014.
People with dementia may find themselves admitted to hospital. If you are coming into hospital there are a few things you can do to make your admission and stay easier, this video may help.
A useful document called Getting to Know Me has been developed by Alzheimer Scotland’s network of Dementia Nurse Consultants and the Scottish Government. It aims to give hospital staff a better understanding of patients with dementia who are admitted either for planned treatment, such as an operation or in an emergency.
The document should be filled in by the person with dementia as much as possible, or by a family carer or relative, with the help of hospital staff if necessary. It is then held with the person’s notes so it is readily accessible to all staff working with that individual.
It asks for brief information about the person: their likes and dislikes, their background, what they like to be called, the important people or places in the person’s life, what helps them relax, how they take their medication, their normal routines, if they wear glasses or a hearing aid, what they like to do for themselves and what they need help with. There is also space for the carer to add in the relevant information they think the staff should know to help them provide the best care possible and to understand any behavioural issues the person might have.
The 21 – 27th June is Love Your Lungs Week 2023. Every year, Asthma & Lung UK (formerly the British Lung Foundation) campaigns to raise awareness for lung health, and we are pleased to be supporting them.
Our lungs, just like our heart, joints, and other parts of our body, age with time. By adopting certain healthy habits, we can better maintain the strength and flexibility of our lungs, and keep them working better for longer. That’s why we have created a calendar with a hints and tips on improving your lung capacity and your overall lung health. We will have challenges throughout this week, so make sure you follow our Facebook Page for more details.
Asking and responding to patients’ money worries is part of Inequalities Sensitive Practice, which is about taking into account each patient’s social circumstances and how they are affecting their health. It also relates to person centred care.
Advice On Money Worries – Who is it for?
Money advice support is for patients, parents/carers or staff of all ages, regardless of their working status.
Why is it important?
With the recession and changes to the benefits system, many of our patients are experiencing money difficulties and mounting debts. The COVID-19 pandemic has also created additional financial worries for many people.
This is important to health services as in addition to being a cause of poor health, money worries can also be a barrier to engaging fully with our services.
“I observe this again and again – that I cannot address medical issues as I have to deal with the patients’ agenda first, which is getting money to feed and heat.” GP
By asking a simple question and providing assistance on where to get help, we can do a lot to prevent unnecessary worry and anxiety.
Click here to view Money Worries: In Sickness & In Health – a short film aimed at healthcare professionals outlining the link between poor health and money worries.
What Kind of Advice is Available?
If your patients are facing financial difficulties, they should not pay for advice. You can help your patients to use the free, high quality services available across NHSGGC which offer help with:
Maximising Income
Debt Advice
Benefits
Savings
Banking
Budgeting
Evidence shows that referring patients to these services can result in improved mental health, increased income, debt reduction, increased financial planning and reduced stress.
How Do I Ask About Money Worries?
If done sensitively, patients value being asked about money problems and referred to Money Advice Services. It only takes a few minutes to do and can be incorporated easily into patient assessment as part of a person centred approach. Most NHSGGC assessment forms cover money worries.
“Do you have any money or debt worries?
“Would you like to speak with an advisor to discuss money worries or help you to claim any benefits that you may be entitled to?”
“Is having a baby adding financial pressure?”
These type of standard questions for introducing the topic of money worries are used in the community setting. Similar questions are used in hospitals, where staff need to establish whether the patients has any immediate work/money related concerns as a result of their health condition.
If you are working with groups of people it is good practice to discuss people’s health in the context of their life circumstances. Money and debt worries are a major issue for many people and should always be covered in these discussions.
How Do I Make a Referral?
Where patients have issues relating to money worries and debt, the role of staff is to:
The Money Advice Service website offers information and advice on budget planning and improving your finances, including tools and calculators to help you plan ahead.
Home Energy Crisis Response Service
NHSGGC has launched a Home Energy Crisis Response Service for patients in Acute and mental health care.
The dramatic increase in home energy costs means that many more people’s health is at risk due to fuel poverty. Patients may be struggling to heat their homes or have had their power disconnected, resulting in damp, cold housing and all the associated health impacts. It can also mean that patients cannot return safely to their homes after a hospital stay.
The new service targets patients who need help with home energy in order to return home safely from a hospital stay without the worry of the additional health consequences of living in a cold, damp home.
Delivered via hospital engagement and remote assistance, the service will tackle energy emergencies, advocate on behalf of patients with energy providers and help with access to external home energy emergency funds.
Who is Eligible?
A person is eligible if they – • are a patient or carer accessing or receiving care from an NHSGCC Hospital • have any immediate or emergency need relating to meeting home energy costs • are experiencing poverty/financial difficulties.
To access this service there is no requirement to be receiving any additional benefits.
SIS staff will also discuss any wider needs with the patient or carer and ensure onward referral to the appropriate support services.
For Mental Health Acute, referrals can be made directly to the service: Email: energycrisis@moneymattersweb.co.uk Telephone: 0141 445 7614
Home Energy Advisors
As part of this service, a Home Energy adviser is now based at various hospital sites throughout the week. The service is available Monday–Friday across all NHSGGC hospitals.
Impact on health
The recent Marmot Review ‘Fuel Poverty, Cold Homes and Health Inequalities’ highlighted the dangerous consequences of living in a cold home to a child’s health and future life expectancy.
It predicts increases in asthma and other respiratory illness; circulatory problems; mental health problems and a worsening of other existing medical conditions such as diabetes, musculoskeletal and rheumatological conditions, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The Marmot Review characterises fuel poverty as a ‘significant humanitarian crisis with thousands of lives lost and millions of children’s development blighted’.
We hope this project will help to save lives in Greater Glasgow and Clyde as well as mitigate against adverse health consequences.
Gender-Based Violence (National Guidelines)
What Health Workers Need to Know
This guidance is intended for use by service managers and staff members who, in the course of their work, are involved in identifying and responding to gender-based violence.
Gender-based Violence National Guidelines – What health workers need to know