Find answers to frequently asked questions

• Q: How do I request a Medical Certificate for Absence from College?
  A: Medical certificates from the Health Centre are only required for periods of absence of more than one week. Departments should accept self-certification for shorter periods. The Health Centre will certify illness only if we have seen you during the illness and not retrospectively. A certificate can also be issued if we receive a report from another Doctor or hospital indicating that you were an in-patient during the period of absence.
  If your Department requests certification regarding any illness it is their responsibility to contact the Health Centre via email to request this. The Health Centre will require your permission before any information can be released.
  If you feel too unwell to sit an exam, you must attend the Health Centre on the day of the exam, but prior to it. The doctor will assess whether or not you are fit to take part. If the doctor agrees that you are too unwell to attend the exam, a medical certificate will be sent to your department. There is a Triage clinic at the Health Centre every weekday morning from 08.30 -10.00. All patients needing to be seen urgently can attend this clinic. No appointment is necessary. 
   
• Q : Are you open at the weekend?
  A: Unfortunately we are not open at weekends. In an emergency please refer to the emergency/out of hours section of this website.
  
  
• Q: Are pregnancy tests available at the Health Centre
  A: We perform pregnancy tests when they are clinically indicated.
  
  
• Q: Why do we need to fill in a form to get condoms?
  A: In order to provide this free service, we need to keep records of what has been requested and what has been issued.
  
  
• Q: When can I speak to a doctor or nurse for advice?
  A: For routine matters, a message can be left for a doctor or nurse and they will call you back.  The clinicians aim to return your non-emergency calls within 48 hours.  For urgent problems, reception will take requests, and the Duty Doctor will aim to return your call usually between 11am-12pm.  The Duty Nurse is available 12pm-1pm to take calls.