College Nurse and Surgery

If life is at risk, such as:  heart attack, stroke, anaphylaxis, severe bleeding, or difficulty breathing: please call 999 or 112 to speak to NHS emergency services. A defibrillator is kept at the Churchill Porters’ Lodge and the Moller Institute reception. 

 

Appointments for the Nurse can be booked online. If no appointments are available please contact your GP of 111.

Make an appointment

W/c Mar 18: on Mon appointments can be booked from 08:00-16:00. Wednesday appointments can be booked from 10:00-17:00.

Nurse Surgery & Services

The College Surgery is located in 48a, in the court behind the Archives Centre as you approach from the direction of the Porters Lodge.

It is open daily during the week in term-time for all students, staff, visiting fellows and conference delegates. Out of term, the surgery will be open on reduced hours.

Our College Nurse is Karen McGinley, who is typically on site 08.00 – 16.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in term times.

W/c Mar 18: on Mon appointments can be booked from 08:00-16:00. Wednesday appointments can be booked from 10:00-17:00.

Make an appointment

Health advice will be offered after assessment. The minor ailments and injuries which are commonly treated are headaches, eye infections, splinters, grazes, cuts, blisters, minor burns, acid reflux, sprains, strains, colds, flu, diarrhoea, sore throats, cystitis, boils and some rashes.

A small stock of ‘over the counter’ remedies are available, such as: painkillers, antacids, sore throat lozenges, various skin creams, antihistamines etc. Ice packs, crutches, glucogel, bandages, eye wash, plasters and dressings are also available. Please ensure you carry two adrenaline pens at all times if you have been prescribed them for severe allergies. Please note, controlled drugs, antibiotics and prescription drugs are not available from the Nurse Surgery

The nurse is also able to carry out blood pressure and temperature checks, urine analysis, weight checks, and BMI calculations. Removal of sutures and dressing changes can also be arranged. Advice will also be given on computer workstation set- up if requested.

Patients presenting with more serious problems may be directed to Accident & Emergency, a General Practitioner or the Counselling Service. Help may also be offered to arrange appointments and transport. The Nurse may also visit patients discharged from the hospital who may need short-term support.

There are various leaflets/booklets available at the surgery: insomnia, anxiety, relaxation, eating healthily etc. The nurse may refer you to other agencies: counsellor, GP, dentist, Accident & Emergency, sexual health clinic or a mental health assessor.

She can be contacted at nurse@chu.cam.ac.uk. Emails are attended in working hours only. Face-to-face or telephone appointments are available. Appointments can be booked online.

Please do call in if you are feeling low and/or need to talk.

If you become ill

An undergraduate or postgraduate who falls ill should ensure that his or her Tutor is informed as soon as possible; if you are in lodgings you should ask your landlady or landlord to ring the Porter’s Lodge and leave a message for your Tutor. Also try to get a message to your Supervisors and Director of Studies explaining any necessary absences from supervisions.

Anyone with any kind of illness, disability or other difficulty likely to affect his or her performance in examinations should consult the College Nurse during the Lent term so that all possible help can be organised before the start of the exams.

It is also essential to inform your Tutor so that steps can be taken to alert the University Board of examinations to your problem. It also makes sense to visit your Cambridge GP so that he/she is aware of your problem, and is in a position if need be, to provide evidence of the severity and duration of your illness. If you are likely to be affected, e.g. in practical’s, by colour perception deficiency, make sure that your Tutor is aware.

Chronic illness

Any member of College suffering from a chronic medical condition or disability, or who is undergoing long-term treatment for any reason, should inform the College Nurse. This could be of great assistance in the event of illness or accident. The Nurse and Catering Manager should be informed of any food allergies. It is also helpful if students are willing to inform their Tutors of such conditions.

Food allergies; anaphylaxis

The University has produced a set of guidelines for dealing with the fact that an increasing number of people are vulnerable to severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) which can affect the entire body within a few minutes of exposure to the allergen and lead to death if not treated promptly. There are several causes of which certain components of food (especially nuts) are the most common (others include insect bites).

University Guidelines

Student guide to using NHS services in Cambridge

Click here to view or download the Student Guide  to NHS services in Cambridge. The guide contains useful information and guidance for all students on local health services including:

  • Self care / looking after yourself
  • Pharmacies
  • NHS 111
  • Mental health services
  • College nurses
  • GPs
  • Meningitis ACWY vaccine
  • Patient Experience Team
  • Other local NHS services and A&E

Further health advice can also be found online:

NHS Guide To Getting Medical Care As A Student

Other useful numbers & resources

Please note: this is general information and liable to change, so please check rules at the point of care.

  • College Counsellor (via Wellbeing Coordinator): email wellbeing@chu.cam.ac.uk (telephone counselling available)
  • Access and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC) for physical disabilities, ongoing mental health problems or specific learning difficulties T: 01223 332301
  • Doctor (out of hours): Call T: 111 to speak to a doctor.
  • Mental Health crisis: T: 111 (then choose option 2)
  • Samaritans 24hr (listening in a crisis) T: 116 123
  • Rape & Sexual Assault: Information for students
  • Student Advice Service T: 01223 746999
  • Nightline: University Nightline, someone to talk to: Open nightly during full term, T: 01223 744444 (7pm-8am)

Confidentiality Statement

Information shared with the nurse is confidential. If it is in the interest of the student for information to be shared with other Health Professionals or University Staff then informed consent will normally be gained first.

Confidentiality will need to be broken if there appears to be a serious imminent risk, or if there are serious illegal activities, where there is a risk to your own or others safety.

General Data Protection

The ‘Medical Health Form for the College Nurse’ and medical records, generated by the College Nurse, are kept securely locked in a metal filing cabinet, within a locked room, in Churchill College. The records are kept for a period of time and then destroyed in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). Emails are password protected and are also destroyed as per regulations.

Taxi provision

Churchill students who are unable to travel by foot, cycle or public transport to get to academic commitments or medical appointments due to injury or illness, may obtain, with the approval of the College Nurse (or in her absence the Duty Porter), taxi chits from the Porters’ Lodge to cover taxi costs for up to a week after they were injured or fell ill.

If students still require taxi transport after a week and cannot afford to pay for it themselves, they may, with the approval of the College Nurse regarding medical need, and their Tutor’s support regarding financial need, apply for the College’s provision of taxis to continue on the grounds of financial hardship. This application should be made via their Tutor.