St. Andrews is opening a £150,000 ‘Student Health Hub’

This year, St. Andrews Community Hospital will be opening a "Student Health Hub" for students in the town to help relieve pressure on the two GP surgeries.

This new approach to creating appointments for students means that instead of going to a GP, you'll be first directed to the Student Hub.

The university staff will send you in the direction of a GP, nurse, pharmacist or to whichever healthcare professional would be the most appropriate for your condition.

This comes after it's estimated that 80 per cent of students who make GP appointments in St. Andrews, don't necessarily need them and could have saved time by going to a pharmacist or straight to minor injuries if required.

It is hoped that this will cut waiting times at both GP practices based in the hospital and will be of benefit to the wider community as a whole.

North East Fife Liberal Democrat MSP and former candidate for Rector of the University, Willie Rennie welcomed the initiative.

He said: “This is the university putting its money where its mouth is, making sure students get the health services they need in time and locals are not disadvantaged by the university’s growth over the next few years.”

The Tab have reached out to the Director of Student Wellbeing Projects for comment on the new development.