Health, wellbeing and safety
While student life is exciting and fun, we know it can also sometimes be challenging.
At Manchester we take the welfare of our students seriously and offer you the encouragement and support you need to stay happy and healthy at university. Read on to find out more about health, wellbeing and safety at Manchester.
Health
You can access physical and mental health support, both across campus and online. Find out more about these services below.
A General Practitioner (GP) is what we call local or family doctors in the UK. To access a range of medical services, you can register with a GP as soon as you know your Manchester address.
There is an on-campus University GP Service in Crawford House (find on our interactive map) – you can register with the service here. While it's not essential to know your term-time address when registering with this service, please update the practice once you know it.
Alternatively, find out how to register with a GP.
Measles is an infection that typically starts with cold-like symptoms before the development of a rash. It spreads very easily and can cause serious problems in some people – particularly those with a weakened immune system.
You can protect yourself and others from measles by getting vaccinated. You were likely offered the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine as a child. If you’re not sure whether you received it, check with someone who has knowledge of your medical history. This could be a family member or caregiver, or your GP, who should have a record of your vaccinations.
If you haven’t been vaccinated against measles, contact your GP to arrange this. If you don’t have a GP, you can register at the on-campus GP practice or find a GP near to your home.
Other vaccines we recommend getting, if you haven’t already, are:
- Meningitis ACWY
- Tuberculosis
- COVID-19.
If you've previously experienced mental health difficulties or you have a disability (which might include autism, ADHD or dyslexia), we strongly encourage you to let us know. Don’t worry – it won’t have any impact on your application or your place at Manchester. Rather, it will allow us to signpost the range of services we offer that can help support your studies. You can contact our Disability Advisory and Support Service to discuss the support available to you and get in touch with our Mental Health Support Team for further advice.
Wellbeing
At Manchester, you’ll be able to access a wide range of support, including wellbeing and mental health services, disability support, accommodation advice and financial guidance. Support is tailored to your programme of study or research through our My Manchester portal.
Watch the video below to find out more:
Wellbeing and mindfulness tips from our students
On this episode of the Manchester Voices podcast, three of our students – Khadijat, Dorsa and Dara – talk about the wellbeing and mindfulness techniques they find helpful. Their tips are the kind of advice they wish they’d had when starting university, and they hope it will be useful to you. Listen below:
Student support pages
Including our Wellbeing and Mental Health services, and online resources, our student support pages are a one-stop shop for all wellbeing advice and assistance:
Read more
Starting university
Starting your university journey is very exciting but we know it can also be challenging or daunting. This module will help you think about some of the things you might encounter.
Read more
Safety
It's natural to think about your safety when you move to a new place, whether that's your own personal safety or the security of your belongings.
Find out more about staying safe at Manchester:
Manchester offers numerous travel options, making it simple to explore and get around. However, we know travelling in a new city can feel daunting.
We recommend you download the Safezone app, which connects you with our Campus Support and Security when you're located in our Fallowfield, Victoria Park or main University campuses, in addition to both Manchester Metropolitan University's campus and the University of Salford campus (this feature is not available when you're off campus). You can also download the WalkSafe+ app, which helps you to plan safe routes to your destination and share your location with friends.
If you're planning to travel by taxi, we recommend choosing our Safe Taxi Scheme with Street Cars. A driver will pick you up and get you home even if you’ve run out of money, and you can pay at the Students' Union at a later date.
Find out more about the best ways to travel around the city on our Making the most of Manchester page.
We have 24/7 high visibility security on campus and around our Halls of Residence, meaning we always have your safety at the forefront of our mind.
We encourage you to download our mobile app, SafeZone, which is designed to give you extra peace of mind when you're on campus or in University accommodation. The app is free to download, easy to use, and connects you with our Campus Support and Security team at the touch of a button if you are in an immediate emergency or require first aid. Find out more about SafeZone.
Take steps to protect yourself from financial scams and fraud by learning to spot the warning signs. Our Pause. Check. Protect. campaign provides guidance on how to protect yourself, your money and your personal information. No one should ever call you asking for money. If you do receive a call like this, take steps to check the source is genuine.
If you think you’ve been contacted by a scammer posing as someone from the University, another official body (such as the UK Home Office or the Police), your bank, or if you have lost money or data in a scam, there is support and guidance available. Report what’s happened to us through Report & Support and Campus Support and Security, and contact Action Fraud for further advice.
Learn more about potential scams and financial risks on our Student Support site. You can also stay up to date with reports of crimes in your area through Great Manchester Police's Bee in the Loop service.