The University provides and maintains a safe and healthy environment to ensure the health and safety of its employees at all times.
In order to do this it is vital you consider the points below when working in the UK.
For more information about the University of Southampton’s health and safety please see the health and safety website and Health & well-being.
It is important that your hours of work and mode of working does not put you at any additional risk. You should not be working alone and you should avoid being in the company of just one student and should avoid confrontation.
For information about personal safety please see the British council, although this advice is intended for students it does serve to provide useful tips on how to stay safe.
During the summer and times of hot weather please consult the Met Office for top tips on how to stay safe in the sun.
For medical emergencies dial 999 or 112 and ask for an ambulance, fire service or police depending on what emergency service you require. You can also visit the A & E department (accident and emergency) of your local hospital for emergency treatment.
Once in the UK it is advised that you register at a doctor’s surgery and dentist. This means if you are ill you can visit a doctor’s surgery and see a GP (General Practitioner) or a dentist as soon as there is an available appointment.
Once you have registered you should be issued with a NHS number which you will need to keep safe. This will be needed when you use the doctors or dentist. To find your nearest doctors surgery please see NHS choices find GP services and to find your nearest dentist please see the NHS choices find dentist services.
Please be aware that not all dentists provide NHS treatment and there may be a waiting list to join an NHS dentists.
In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) provides medical care to the population. You will be entitled to NHS treatment along with your dependent as long as you match certain criteria. Please see nhs.uk for more information.
If you become ill and require a prescription it is important to be aware that adults tend to pay for their prescriptions in England.
There is also an optician service, although this was generally require you to register and will incur an additional charge for any services they provide.
You can also choose to use private medical healthcare, although this will mean treatment at an additional cost. Please contact your HR Manager if you wish to find out what private health care schemes are supported by the University.
For information about what to do if you become pregnant please use your GP at your doctor’s surgery for your first point of call. Usually you will need to register with a midwife and they will advise you of what else you need to do. Please see nhs.uk for more information.
Disabled people in the UK are protected under The Equality Act 2010 when they are employees. For more information please see the government website. This includes employers making reasonable adjustments in the workplace and processes involved in recruitment.