The season is upon us where lectures are punctuated by coughing fits and noses being blown. The term “Freshers Flu” is thrown around offhandedly, yet studies have emphasised the importance of recognising the serious effect colds and flus have on academic performance and quality of life for students. Furthermore, as the days shorten, seasonal depression and the pressure of mounting deadlines cause many students to struggle with their mental health.
Among the discourse on issues within the NHS, young people are often left out of the conversation. Evidently, however, students are not infallible and having accessible healthcare is crucial at university. But is this the case in Edinburgh?
When I was trying to register for a GP in my first year, I certainly wouldn’t have described it as accessible. Instead of working on assignments or spending time with friends, I spent my October waiting in queues outside GPs at 8am, only to be turned away and told that people had been at the door hours before opening time in the hopes of securing a spot. After contacting Practitioner Services, I managed to register with a GP over a month after I had started looking for one.
While several students described their registration as fairly easy, many others shared my experience. Alex, an international relations student, described his experience: “I wasn’t registered with a GP last year because I tried several times, in September and January, to register and never heard back from any of them.” Other students similarly recounted how they didn’t have a GP at all in their first year, giving up after multiple failed attempts.
Scottish Conservative MSP for the Lothian Area, Miles Briggs, acknowledged, “I regularly hear from constituents, including students, who are having difficulty registering with GP practices. Practice closed lists are becoming more frequent across Edinburgh and the Lothians.”
Additionally, Sara Boyack, Scottish Labour MSP for the Lothian Area, observed, “A key issue I’ve been consistently raising in the Scottish Parliament is the underfunding that NHS Lothian gets given its growing and ageing population. Moreover, NHS Lothian will have 84% of Scotland’s population growth up to 2030 which will put even more pressure on the services patients urgently need. Access to preventative health is particularly worrying, for example lack of access to mental health services and diabetes technology.” SNP and Scottish Green MSPs did not respond to a request for comment.
Several international students admitted that they had not even tried to register with a GP as the process seemed overwhelming and confusing. As Clara, a computer science and maths student, described, “I don’t really understand how healthcare works around here, and I feel the university doesn’t really explain it to arriving international students.” When asked for comment, the university stated that “As part of our induction activities, we advise new students to register with a GP when living in Edinburgh. Our website contains information on how students can complete GP registration, as well as guidance on what to do if a student is struggling to register: New Students: Register with a GP/doctor | The University of Edinburgh.”
However, many students felt that the university did not do enough to help students with the frustrating process of registration. Politics student, Harriet, suggested that the university could have a specific point-of-contact on health-related issues, to ensure students don’t feel stranded when they have already tried and failed to secure a place with a GP.
On the other hand, the students I talked to that had been successful in registering with a GP praised the speed and efficiency of getting appointments. Briggs described how the Scottish Conservatives would “introduce mandatory online booking systems and a national standard guaranteeing patients an appointment within a week,” and many students commended some GPs already implementing online booking systems. This allows patients to get same-day appointments, without leaving their flat or sitting on hold for hours.
Nevertheless, many students pointed out that criticisms of the NHS cannot simply be reduced to a matter of getting a GP or an appointment. When asked about Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that there would be “no more money without reform” for the NHS, both Briggs and Boyack emphasised that reform is not enough to address lack of funding and doctors. While students agreed with this, they also pointed out that the healthcare system was not imagined with students, who frequently move or go home for long periods, in mind.
One student recounted how her GP didn’t send prescriptions outside of Edinburgh, meaning she struggled to get her mental health medication during the summer months. Similarly, another student described how their friend who suffers from a chronic illness must newly register as a temporary patient every time they go home. Another explained that “when waiting on results, people cannot switch GPs, as a specific GP is responsible for carrying that treatment. This forces people to lie about where they live to ‘stay eligible’.” Indeed, several students described the anxiety of having to find a new GP after changing catchment area only months after the battle to register with their last one ended.
NHS Scotland needs reform and funding, this much is clear. Yet Freshers Flu will persist, however much money is invested. The question is, what changes are needed so that students can deal with their health issues? If getting access to healthcare is a process that can take over students’ academic and personal lives, work needs to be done to make this an achievable reality.
Image via Ruth Cullen