Do I have to leave my GP at home?
No, and you should not. This sits alongside NHS care rather than replacing it.
You can register with a practice where you study while remaining registered at home as a temporary patient — that is a normal arrangement and worth setting up, because it gives you free care, vaccinations and a continuous record.
Can I get a note for mitigating circumstances?
Yes, after a proper assessment. See fitness to study letters for what universities actually require.
Two things determine whether it works: send us your university's own criteria or form, and check the deadline first. Most claims that fail do so on process rather than on the medicine.
Can you write about a week I was ill but did not see anyone?
Partly. The letter will clearly separate what was assessed today from what you have reported about earlier dates. Some universities accept that; some do not.
Anything dated from the time helps a great deal — a pharmacy receipt, a message to a flatmate or tutor, a 111 record.
I am an international student. Can I use this?
Yes, from anywhere in England or Wales.
But also: if you paid the immigration health surcharge with your visa, you are entitled to NHS care and should register with a GP. A great many international students do not realise this and pay for things they could have free.
Can you prescribe my ADHD medication?
No — stimulants are controlled drugs and we do not prescribe them remotely, for anyone.
What we can do is discuss the situation, write to your prescriber, and explain the NHS Right to Choose route for assessment. If you are established on treatment at home and have run out at university, the practical answer is usually your existing prescriber or a local GP taking over shared care — and we will help you work out which.
Will my university or my parents find out?
No. If you are 16 or over the consultation is confidential and nothing goes to your university, your parents or anyone else without your explicit consent — with the narrow exceptions that apply to every doctor, where there is a serious risk to you or someone else.
Letters are issued to you. You decide what to submit.
Is it cheaper to use the NHS?
Frequently, yes, and we will tell you when. If you are under 19 in full-time education, or hold an HC2 certificate through the NHS Low Income Scheme, your prescriptions are free.
Sexual health screening, contraception and talking therapies are also free and often faster than anything private. What you are paying us for is speed and timing — an evening slot, a same-day appointment, a letter before a deadline — not better medicine.
I think I am struggling with my mental health.
Worth booking, and worth doing sooner than feels necessary. "I don't feel right" is a complete reason.
Alongside that, use what is free: university counselling, NHS talking therapies self-referral (no GP required), and Nightline if the nights are the hard part. If you are in crisis, do not wait for any appointment — 999, 111, or Samaritans on 116 123.