Cambridge University strongly recommend that all students are registered with a GP in Cambridge.  This is because:

• We have a long history of working with the University of Cambridge and with Anglia Ruskin University, and are best positioned to liaise with them when necessary (e.g. if the student needs extra support)
• We have (often first hand) experience of the unique circumstances of life as a student at Cambridge, including acedemic and non-acedemic pressures 
• We work alongside the College Nurses who are unique to Cambridge (e.g. we allow the College Nurse to book patients in to see us); Counsellors and other staff
• We have worked alongside most of the College Tutors for many years 
• We need patients to be registered with us BEFORE they need us so that we have access to their previous GP records   
• We need patients to be registered with us BEFORE they need us because we need to plan the services we offer 

Although we are used to working with your university please be aware that we are an NHS organisation and not part of your university.  Please be assured that any information you give us will be treated in strictest confidence.  We will not share any information about you with the univeristy (or anyone) witout your consent, except in very rare situations. 

You can register online with Huntindgdon Road Surgery if you live within our catchment area.  Students who have a permenant address (a pigeon hole) at College can use their College address when they register, provided the address is in our catchment area.  That includes all students at Girton College, Fitzwilliam College, Murray Edwards College, Lucy Cavendish College, Magdelene College and St Edmunds College.

If you do not have an address in our area you can find a local GP on the NHS Choices website.   

Every year there are some students who feel they would be better off staying registered with their home GP.  Often they are patients with more complicated medical histories, or those on medication.

We do understand that changing GP is difficult for some people.  We will do our best to make the change as easy as possible and hope that we will get to know you just as well as your previous GP.  That is why we have an individual list system, so that you will usually get to see the same GP each time.  We are experts in student care and we understand.  

But it is REALLY important you change to us NOW.  Unfortunately experience tells us that those patients often (in fact, more often than not) end up needing to see a GP in term time and come to us anyway at some point.    

The problem is that unless a patient has already registered with us, we have to try to give advice without access to the patient's medical records.  That is risky, not least of all because these patients are often those who have more complex histories. 

Or perhaps the student speaks to the College Nurse, who then needs GP advice.  Most GP surgeries will not know of the unique position of Cambridge Uniersity College Nurses.  Since for confidentiality reasons GPs usually decline to speak to anyone who is not the patient, the College Nurses can struggle to get important advice, unless that is you are registered with a GP in Cambridge.  We have a strong connection with the College Nurses and together we provide excellent support to students, including access to GPs when needed.  

If you are reading this because your son or daughter is coming to study in Cambridge, make sure they register with a Cambridge GP.  Eligible patients can register with us here.

If you are under a specialist (e.g. hospital consultant) clinic and change GP, you do NOT need to change specialist.  Most patients prefer to remain under the care of their specialist at home.  That is absolutely fine.  

However you must inform that clinic that you have changed GP otherwise the hospital will not know and correspondance will get lost in the post.  Unfortunately NHS computer systems are not that linked up.

It would be helpful if you could ask them for your most recent clinic letter to be sent to us, or if you could get a copy and send it through to us once you are registered with us.

You may of course choose to move your specialist care to one local to Cambridge.  You should discuss that with your new GP once you have registered with us.  It is always best to stay with your previous specialist until we have arranged for you to see your new one.

Unfortuantely there are a few NHS services which are organised  geographically, and so are only available to those who live locally.  These include mental health services, eating disorder services and specialist services for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  That means if you have been under the care of one of these services and move to University, your home service may decline to see you.  University is a time of life when these problems are more common, or can get worse.  People with these problems also generally need to contact their GP more often.  It is absolutely essential that you register with us as soon as possible so that we know about you and can support you including, if appropriate, introducing you to our local specialists. 

 If you have ADHD or ADD you should read this page.

We are proud to be active members of the Student Health Association, who support and represent specialists in student healthcare.

Information and advice about all forms of contraception (also known as "family planning") is available from any of our doctors or from our family planning trained nurses.  Please let reception know you want to discuss contraception so that they can help you contact the most appropriate person.

We also provide emergency contraception, inlcuding the "morning after" pills and the coil (IUD). You can also get the emergency contraceptive pill from your local pharmacy without seeing a GP.  If you find yourself needing advice on after-sex contraception, it is always best to seek advice as soon as possible.

Your College Nurse can also provide advice about any of the above.

Alternatively you can book directly with the local sexual health and family planning clinic iCASH. 

All forms of contraception are free under the NHS.