Register with a doctor

We recommend that all students register with a local doctor while you are at University. Some of the benefits of early registration are:

• It saves you time - after registering your medical records are easily accessed and you don’t need to ask for them every time you need to use NHS services.
• It gives you access to multiple services, including meningitis vaccinations, medical advice, minor illnesses, sexual health and family planning and more.
• If you require an extenuating circumstances letter due to a medical illness, your local GP will be able to provide this.
• Access to dedicated student-only clinics in the evenings, weekends and on Wednesday afternoons, plus physiotherapy, home visits, emergency bookings, ongoing treatment appointment bookings and more.

Registering with a GP in Guildford means that you can access them through the digital platform, for phone calls and video consultations even during the summer holidays.

It does not prevent you from being seen in person by your ‘home’ GP over the university holidays; for all GPs across UK, there is a system in place that allows you to be seen as a temporary resident while a student on campus.

You can also use the NHS 111 online service if you have a medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. None of this advice replaces the emergency services. If you have immediate concerns that you or someone else is seriously unwell, dial 999 or if you are on campus dial 3333 and Campus Safety will call an ambulance for you.

In the video below you'll discover tips on where to get the right NHS service for advice and treatment.

More guidance on NHS services

You can also collect prescriptions and seek advice on self-care and over the counter drugs from any one of the local pharmacies in Guildford including:

• Direct Pharmacy
• Boots Chemist
• Tescos Pharmacy
• Lloyds Pharmacy

View a map of these pharmacies on Google Maps.

Prescriptions can often be sent by your GP digitally to any pharmacy in the UK.

If you're starting university you should make sure you've already had:

• the MenACWY vaccine – which protects against serious infections like meningitis. You can ask a GP for this vaccine until your 25th birthday, if you missed having it at school or before coming to the UK to study.
• 2 doses of the MMR vaccine – as there are outbreaks of mumps and measles at universities. If you have not previously had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, you can ask a GP for the vaccine. 
• the HPV vaccine – which helps protect against genital warts and cancers caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), such as cervical cancer.

More about free routine NHS vaccines for students

Other NHS vaccinations

• Getting a seasonal COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially if you are at increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19. 
• The flu vaccine is also offered every year through the NHS to help protect people at risk of getting seriously ill from flu. Flu can be dangerous and even life threatening for some people, particularly those with certain health conditions.

the NHS App is a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet, including:

• getting your NHS Covid pass and other Covid-19 advice
• booking appointments
• getting health advice
• visiting your health record.

If you download it prior to registering with a GP practice, it will help with the registration process and can complete your ID checks for you without needing to visit your GP in person.

Download the NHS App or find out more on the NHS website.

If you need any support with completing online GP registration please first consult this help document (PDF).

You should not encounter any difficulty registering with one of the GPs listed above. If you do, please contact the local NHS – the Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group – who offer advice and guidance, and have assured us that all students will be able to register with one of the local GP practices.