AYR COLLEGE students have been encouraged seek digital aid by the NHS to help them look after their physical and mental health.

Students at all Ayrshire College campuses will be provided with computer tablets which will be loaded up with information on local health services.

The college has teamed up with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS 24 to urge students to make use of the online services that are available at the tap of a touch screen.

The iPads will offer students access to information about a number of local services, such as Eyecare Ayrshire, sexual health and contraception clinics and the Pharmacy First scheme, which is available in community pharmacies in Ayrshire.

The tablets will also have direct access to information from NHS 24 which boasts a range of resources such as self-help guides and new mental health guides.

The smart-tech will be available across all of Ayrshire College’s three campuses after it was launched in Kilmarnock on Tuesday May 14.

It comes after In 2018/19, service users aged between 16 and 30 accounted for almost a quarter of the overall out-of-hours interventions with a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) within the Ayrshire Urgent Care Service.

Louise Bennie, Head of Digital NHS 24, added: “This collaboration is a great opportunity to raise awareness of health and care services and resources available in local communities.

“NHS 24’s range of national digital services provide health information and advice, including self-help guides, and signposting to local services. These are all designed to help people to access the right service at the right time for them. We look forward to seeing the impact locally in terms of usage and experience.”

Julie Maxwell, Director of Care & Early Years Education, Ayrshire College, said:“Ayrshire College is delighted to be involved in this exciting and innovative project. The health and wellbeing of our students and staff is a high priority and this initiative delivers a wide range of high quality services and resources to support their needs”