Health and welfare

Our Health Centre provides comprehensive medical care for students under the National Health Service (NHS) and also provides a fully-equipped dental surgery. The Practice is a ten-minute walk from the centre of the main Whiteknights campus and has a dedicated staff of doctors, nurses and supporting ancillary staff, providing all aspects of a general practice.  Additional facilities outside the NHS include the services of a consultant psychiatrist and a taxi service for students who feel too unwell to travel to the Health Centre.

• Visit the Medical Practice website.

Medical care for UK students

Registering at the health centre is free. If you are prescribed any medicines, you may have to pay for the prescription (approximately £6) when you collect it from the pharmacist.

Medical care for international students

Registering at the health centre is free. If you are prescribed any medicines, you may have to pay for the prescription (approximately £6) when you collect it from the pharmacist.

If your course lasts for six months or longer, you will receive free treatment from family doctors and hospitals. Charges are made for medecines but these are quite small and it may not be worth taking out insurance for these.  You will have to pay for spectacles and for most types of dental treatment and the costs of these are higher.  If you are staying less than 6 months then you are advised to take out medical insurance.  If you are a student from the EU, you are entitled to free treatment from the family doctor even if you are here for less than six months.  You may not, however, be entitled to free hospital treatment.
Emergencies  All University students can obtain help from the Health Centre in an emergency.

International Visitors

Please note that international visitors to Britain, who are not students, may have to pay for hospital treatment, and suitable insurance should be arranged.

Counselling

The University's counsellors are available to talk in confidence about personal and emotional concerns. Counselling appointments are usually available the same day within term-time with a Duty Counsellor for urgent emotional or academic issues. The University Counselling Service has offices on each campus.

Students' Union Advice Team

The Students' Union team is familiar with the particular needs and issues of mature, postgraduate and international students. Through its Membership Services Centre, advisors provide information and confidential advice on personal, social, academic, financial and welfare matters. The advisors work closely with a number of departments across the University such as the Counselling Service, Accommodation Office and central administration.

International Student advice

Our International Student Adviser provides cross-cultural support of all kinds to new international students with a particular focus on developing support networks and new learning skills. Drop-in sessions are available every week and longer appointments are available by arrangement.

Peer Support

The Peer Support Network offers informal, friendly, and confidential support for students provided by students themselves. Peer Supporters are University of Reading students who have had training in listening and helping skills. Visit the Peer Support website to find out more about their work and how you can get involved.

Chaplaincy

The Chaplains are a friendly team of men and women who offer help and support to students, staff and visitors to the University, whatever their religious beliefs. The Chaplaincy building on Whiteknights campus is open to all as a place of rest, information and hospitality. See the Chaplaincy Centre website for details.  We also have links with a Rabbi from the Reading Hebrew Congregation and have information about other faith groups.

The Muslim Centre, run by the University's Muslim Society, has a site on Whiteknights campus for daily prayer.  It is a social focus for the multi-national Muslim community of students and staff, and during Ramadan, provides halal food on a daily basis.  See the muslimcentre website for details.