Student Health App (UK)
Free digital self-care support for students in UK higher education
The Student Health App (UK) is a trusted, free self-care support app used by colleges and universities across the UK to support student health and wellbeing.
It provides students with clear, evidence-based guidance they can trust - helping them manage common health and wellbeing concerns, recognise when to seek help, and access the right support earlier. In doing so, it supports prevention, reduces avoidable crises, and eases pressure on overstretched university and NHS services.
The app was co-created with the University of Bristol Students' Health Service and a diverse range of university students.
The app can be localised to reflect an institution's own services, pathways, and signposting to further support - while retaining consistent, trusted core guidance.
Available free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. No account is required to download or use the app.
Why this app exists
You want students to thrive - academically, socially, and personally - but supporting student wellbeing has never been more challenging.
University life brings new independence, responsibility, and pressure. At the same time:
- many students turn to unsafe or unreliable online advice
- demand for wellbeing and counselling support continues to rise
- waiting times and capacity constraints limit how quickly services can respond
- some students struggle to recognise when to seek help, or where to turn
Without clear, trusted support early on, students may fall behind in their studies, experience worsening mental or physical health, or reach crisis point. In the most serious cases, the consequences can be devastating.
For institutions, the impact is familiar: rising demand, increasing risk, and staff working under sustained pressure.
A calm, practical way to support students earlier
With the Student Health App, you gain a simple, scalable way to support students before problems escalate.
The app adds a mobile layer to how you already share health and wellbeing information - complementing websites, induction materials, and face-to-face services by putting clear, reliable guidance directly into students’ hands, whenever and wherever they need it.
In practice, the app helps you to:
- support early intervention and safer self-care
- reduce health confusion and anxiety
- reinforce consistent messages across services
- complement existing provision, not replace it
If you want to go further, you can localise the app with your own branded home page and service directory, helping students find the right support first time.
Supporting students across the care pathway
Students don’t move through support in a straight line. Needs change across the academic year and in response to stress, illness, assessment pressure, and life events.
The Student Health App can support students at different points, including:
- Early concerns – helping students understand symptoms, manage minor issues, and decide when to seek help.
- While waiting for support – providing safe, trusted guidance during delays or transitions between services.
- Alongside ongoing care – reinforcing advice from GPs, counsellors, disability teams, or wellbeing services.
- After a crisis or service contact – supporting recovery, confidence, and appropriate next steps.
In each case, the app sits alongside existing university and NHS services - offering clarity, reassurance, and a safe starting point.
Why mobile apps work for students
Support works best when it’s available at the moment it’s needed - without barriers.
Students already rely on their phones to manage daily life. Apps offer:
- privacy and discretion
- access outside office hours
- support that works offline
- information that’s easy to revisit
Once downloaded, the app:
- stays with students throughout their course
- can be accessed anytime, anywhere
- provides one clear, trusted place to turn when something doesn’t feel right
This makes it a natural fit for student life.
Who the app is for — and who it isn’t
You can think of the Student Health App as a digital pocket guide for student wellbeing, designed for:
- undergraduate and postgraduate students
- international students adjusting to UK systems
- students living away from home for the first time
- professionals and services supporting student wellbeing
The app is not a medical device and is not intended to:
- replace clinical assessment or counselling
- act as an emergency service
- collect or monitor personal data
Instead, it supports informed self-care and confident help-seeking alongside existing services.
How the Student Health App works in practice
Inside the app, students find clear, supportive content written by doctors, co-created with students, and regularly updated.
This includes guidance to help students:
- understand common health and wellbeing issues
- practise safe, practical self-care
- manage stress, sleep, and everyday pressures
- find the right support — NHS, helplines, charities, and university services
- know when urgent help is needed
Everything is written in plain English and designed to be easy to return to - especially during stressful periods.
Safe, private, and free to use
So you can share the app with confidence, it has been designed with safety and accessibility at its core:
- entirely free for students and institutions
- no contracts, no sign-up, and no technical set-up
- no personal data collection, tracking, or profiling
- no ads or in-app purchases
- compatible with standard smartphone accessibility features
Students can use the app privately, on their own terms - even when offline.
Proven quality and real-world impact
The Student Health App is trusted and widely used across UK higher education:
- PIF TICK certified - the UK mark of trusted health information
- ORCHA assessed and NHS DTAC compliant
- Endorsed by sector leaders and policy organisations
“There’s never been a more crucial time for students to have access to reliable, safe, relevant health information… They shouldn’t leave home without it.”
- Dr Dominique Thompson, National Student Health Expert and President, Student Health Association“We recommend that higher education institutions advertise the Student Health App and encourage its use.”
- Higher Education Policy Institute - The Invisible Problem
This is established, trusted support - ready to use at scale.
Developed with care and credibility
The Student Health App is led by clinicians and developed collaboratively with:
- doctors and student health experts
- universities and sector partners
- students with lived experience
This ensures content is evidence-informed, aligned with best practice, and grounded in the realities of student life.
Risk & assurance summary
The Student Health App has been designed to support universities in meeting their duty of care while managing risk responsibly.
- Not a replacement for services – the app supports informed self-care and early help-seeking alongside existing university and NHS provision.
- No safeguarding exposure – it does not collect personal data, monitor users, or provide crisis intervention.
- Clinically led and quality-assured – content is evidence-informed, PIF TICK certified, ORCHA assessed, and compliant with NHS DTAC standards.
- Low implementation risk – free to use, no contracts, no technical integration, and no ongoing operational burden.
- Appropriate governance fit – suitable for promotion across universities, colleges, and ICS-aligned partnerships.
Together, this provides a safe, proportionate way to extend student wellbeing support at scale - without increasing institutional risk.
Understanding the value for universities
The Student Health App is a small, predictable investment of attention that can unlock meaningful value over time.
It can help universities to:
- support prevention and early intervention, reducing escalation
- ease pressure on wellbeing, counselling, and student services
- improve consistency of messaging across teams and departments
- reach large student populations, without buying or building a digital product
- demonstrate duty of care, using trusted, quality-assured information
Ultimately, the value lies in making safe, reliable support easier to find - early, and at scale.
Designed to support sustainability
The Student Health App supports sustainability in practical ways:
- For students – improved confidence, wellbeing, and academic engagement
- For institutions – better use of existing capacity and reduced avoidable demand
- For the planet – reduced reliance on printed materials and duplicated resources
A simple digital intervention with long-term benefits.
Make the app locally relevant (optional)
You can localise the Student Health App with your own branding and support pathways.
Localisation allows you to:
- highlight university wellbeing and support services
- help students reach the right support first time
- strengthen belonging and confidence in your institution
All without the cost or risk of developing your own app.
The difference the Student Health App can make
When students have access to clear, trusted self-care support, they are more likely to:
- feel less anxious and more confident
- manage issues earlier and more safely
- seek help at the right time
- stay engaged with their studies
Giving students one trusted place for support can make everything feel lighter - for them, and for the teams supporting them.
Let’s start a conversation
If you’d like to explore how the Student Health App could support your students and staff, we’d be glad to talk.