|
|
|
|
Goodwood Court Medical Centre Newsletter for Students at BellerbysSeptember 2008 We welcome you to a new term at Bellerbys & to Brighton. This newsletter is to bring you some information about your health and how to access health care while you are studying. Most students at Bellerbys and Embassy Study Centre are enrolled with our practice for medical care this is for convenience and you are free to choose another medical centre if you wish (contact www.nhs.uk for details of how to register elsewhere). You are entitled to register as a National Health Service patient if you expect to stay in the UK for at least six months. When you are registered you will receive a NHS medical card which has a unique 10 digit reference number which entitles you to NHS care while you are in the UK. You should KEEP THIS NHS CARD safe.You can make an appointment to see any of our doctors or nurses by telephoning 0844 477 0925 between 0800 and 1830 Monday to Friday or through our ONLINE service (you will need to ask us for a password the first time) using our website link www.goodwoodcourt.org/services.htm If you have authorised repeat prescriptions, they can also be ordered online. This is a secure website service. We provide appointments up until 2000 Monday to Thursday and until 1830 on Fridays. You MUST make an appointment to be seen, we cannot see you if you have not made an appointment. It is essential that you arrive in time for your appointment and you will not be seen if you are late. Most medical services are free of charge to you and if you are under the age of 19 years you will not have to pay for any medicines. Our Medical Centres are on the NUMBER 7 or 7A bus routes from Brighton Station (Palmeira Avenue stop for Goodwood Court or Eaton Gardens stop for The Eaton Centre).If you have a medical emergency after 630pm, then you should telephone 0844 477 0925 and our telephone system will give you the number to telephone for the "out of hours" clinic. SELF HELP We see many students with viral illnesses or other illnesses which will resolve on their own particularly "COLDS" and "SORE THROATS". A cold will last about 9 days and will make you feel that you cannot breathe through your nose- you may make a lot of liquid in the nose and your throat may be sore and your head hurt. There is no need to see the doctor with this you should drink lots of liquids, take some PARACETAMOL tablets (according to the dosage on the packet) which you can obtain from most supermarkets or pharmacies, and rest when not at College. Do wash your hands well and ensure that you do not cough or sneeze near other people as you are very infectious. SORE THROATS are usually due to a virus and will get better in 5 to 7 days to relieve the pain, buy some STREPSILS from a pharmacy or supermarket. If you have a red throat with swellings at the back of the throat together with a fever, you may need antibiotics and should make an appointment to see a doctor. DIARRHOEA is often due to eating infected food and can be helped by drinking fruit drinks, eating simple foods such as rice, bread or pasta, and taking some IMODIUM which you can buy from a pharmacy or supermarket. We advise students to keep a small supply of IBUPROFEN (Nurofen), PARACETAMOL (Panadol) and LOPERAMIDE(Imodium) to deal with these nuisance illnesses. PEPTO-BISMOL is useful for indigestion or the after effects of too much alcohol. DENTAL CARE Our surgery at Goodwood Court also has a DENTIST Dr Loubser- who is able to see students either on the NHS if they are entitled to NHS dental care (special rules apply) or privately. Please phone 01273 770302 for an appointment. FOOT PROBLEMS If you have problems with your feet, our Podiatrist/Chiropodist Mr Luke Hawkins may be able to help his services are NOT on the National Health Service and a charge will be made. You can contact him on 01273 770822 Contraception and Chlamydia We can provide full Contraception services for students we can even provide supplies of condoms. It is essential that students are aware that it is very easy to get pregnant and also to spread disease from one person to another. Condoms can prevent both! For girls there are other types of protection against pregnancy available please ask . Sister Debby Whittington is our specialist nurse please ask for detailsChlamydia is an infection which is rising in the UK and is spread from one person to another during sexual activity. We are currently taking part in a screening programme for young adults for more information, please look at the "Big Screen" website. Testing kits can be ordered online. www.thebigscreen-sussex.co.ukMeningitis C Mumps Measles and Rubella Human Papilloma Virus Every country has its own vaccination regimes for children and young adults. In the UK, we try and vaccinate every young person against a dangerous infection caused by a bacterium known as meningococcus. Some other countries also vaccinate against this infection. Meningococcus causes swelling of the brain and serious illness very quickly and is common amongst students. If you have NOT had a vaccination course against Meningococcus C, then we can offer you this safe vaccine a single dose is all that is needed. We will arrange clinics to do this at Bellerbys College, please give your name to Mrs Chris Arulraj in Student Services and she will let you know when the next vaccination clinic will take place.MMR Mumps Measles and Rubella is another vaccination that we offer to all students in the UK. Again this is a safe vaccine and if you have not had two doses of this vaccine in the past, please advise Mrs Arulraj and she will arrange to include you in the next clinic. Human Papilloma Virus causes cancer of the neck of the womb (cervix) in women. We have just introduced a national scheme to vaccinate all females between the ages of 13 and 18 in the UK. Vaccination will be offered to students starting with those aged 17 to 18 during November/December 2008. I will send those eligible students more information nearer the time. Students with ASTHMA, EPILEPSY, DIABETES or HEART DISEASE We need to know if you have any chronic problem such as Asthma, Epilepsy, Diabetes or Heart Disease. If you do, please come and see one of the doctors at Goodwood Court in order to make sure we have all the information necessary to look after you and in order to ensure that you know how to get help.Smoking As I hope you are aware, smoking is NOT GOOD for you. It is NOT COOL to smoke but what it does is to produce thick black tar in your lungs and makes your breath smell. Ultimately it will make your skin more wrinkled than other people and make it less likely that you will live as long as other people. If you smoke and would like to stop we can help. Please ask.LOTS of INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SERVICES is on our WEBSITE www.goodwoodcourt.orgOther sources of help: www.nhs.uk PLEASE KEEP THIS SHEET FOR FUTURE REFERENCE |
|
Send mail to
nigel.higson@nhs.net with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
