Date published: 12 September 2023

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is welcoming a new influx of students to Merseyside for Fresher’s Week by making it easier than ever before to access services for their mental and physical health needs.

One of the biggest mental health and community health Trusts in the North West, Mersey Care knows that starting university or college can be an exciting time but can often lead to students needing local health services.

Dr Noir Thomas, Mersey Care’s Medical Director, said : “Students can rely on Mersey Care for help both when they arrive and during their time at university or college.

“We hope everyone has a great time, but we know the early days as a student can also be challenging with having to juggle new responsibilities such as managing finances, everyday relationships and studying.

“Living in a new area or city is difficult enough so we’ve made it easier for all our new students to know how to access our services during their stay in Merseyside.”

The Mersey Care package for students includes a Freshers Week animation (see below).

We have urgent treatment centres (UTCs) and walk-in centres (WICs) across Cheshire and Merseyside.

If you need same day urgent care, please contact www.111.nhs.uk or call 111. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days per week and they’ll know the best service for your treatment need.

You can also turn up to any of our UTCs and WICs without an appointment. Select your nearest site from the drop down menus below for further information. However, if its an emergency or a serious injury, you should dial 999 or go straight to A&E.

Other key pages for students can be found on our website. They include:

“Nationally there was an increase in mental health issues among the UK population both during and since the COVID-19 pandemic and students were no different,” added Dr Thomas.

“By launching our crisis lines and text services we hope all students arriving on Merseyside for the first time will know where to go to get help for all their mental and physical health needs.”