HEALTH & WELLBEING
Health
All Tufts in London and Oxford students have access to On Call International Global Assistance and Insurance Program while they are abroad. Contact On Call if you need to see a doctor, dentist, or other medical professional while you're abroad, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, or if you need help in an emergency. Use the QR code to put the On Call policy documents, including what is covered, on your phone. If you need to contact On Call immediately, click the contact information card below and the live chat will open in a new window.
Full-year students are eligible for NHS (National Health Service) treatment in the UK; semester students are not eligible for NHS treatment other than emergency services (if you are sent to A&E). If you have a medical problem and are not sure what to do you can contact the NHS by calling 111 or going online to 111.nhs.uk for advice. Pharmacists can also be helpful in suggesting what to take for minor illness.
Mental Wellbeing
We consider mental well-being to mean more than an absence of mental illness; it is about having the skills to foster happiness even when confronted with challenges.
Mental Health — and especially student mental health — is a common discussion in the UK and there is now virtually no stigma attached to discussing it openly, as you’ll find when you are here. There is a national charity, Student Minds, dedicated to student mental health, and each UK university has dedicated services and support.
You can arrange regular counselling in the UK via On Call International, details above, as well as accessing 24/7 crisis counselling.
Have a look at our Wellbeing applet for info and a quiz about planning for good mental health abroad.
Resources
Here's a small selection of the many apps and websites to help with mental health and wellbeing. The process of looking for techniques and strategies to help you is part of being proactive about your own mental wellbeing so don't rely on our recommendations alone — you’ll know best what works for you.
Websites
Student Minds https://www.studentminds.org.uk Website with resources, training, and 24h support
The Charlie Waller Foundation https://charliewaller.org info and strategies to support mental health
Apps
Three Good Things - a happiness journal
Headspace - meditation and mindfulness
Mindshift - free evidence-based anxiety relief
NHS Student Health App - get information about common health questions to alleviate health anxiety