Clinics

The community midwife is available at antenatal clinics on Monday and Tuesday at 1.30pm.
Cancer of the cervix can be prevented and all female patients are advised to have a smear test every three years. This test is important as it can detect early signs of this disease at a stage when it can be easily treated. If you recieve a letter from the Health Authority inviting you to have a test done, please arrange this with a practice nurse.
All the doctors in the practice and Sister Johnson will provide full information about various methods of family planning currently available. However, if you wish to have a coil fitted you should book an appointment with Drs Palin or Sharma. If you wish to have contraceptive implants you can also book an appointment with them.
We are able to offer various minor surgical procedures, often avoiding the need for a visit to a hospital. Please ask your doctor for details. A wart clinic is available on Wednesday morning and afternoon. Most warts, verrucae etc can be dealt with at this clinic which uses a state-of-the-art Cryojet.
This clinic is held at the surgery. Please make sure that all children under five are registered with the practice for this service. It will ensure that they have paediatric developmental examinations carried out at the correct times in their development.
Baby changing facilities are available within the practice. To use these facilities please ask at reception.

We run a comprehensive childhood vaccination clinic every Wednesday at 2.00pm.
This clinic offers the full range of recommended childhood vaccinations. Written confirmation will be required if a parent does not accompany the child. Baby changing facilities are available within the practice.

Healthcare and vaccination advice for children under five is available from the health visitors attached to the practice who can be contacted on (01925) 791671.

Adults are advised to ensure that they receive a tetanus and polio booster every 10 years. They are otherwise at risk of these serious diseases.
Similarly, it is advised that certain high risk patients should have an annual vaccination against influenza and a one off vaccination, which will give lifelong protection against pneumonia. These groups include the elderly and those suffering conditions such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, angina or other heart conditions, diabetes, and chronic kidney problems. This service is available from the practice nurses by appointment.

The practice nurses also offer a travel vaccination clinic at which all holiday vaccination needs (except yellow fever) can be dealt with.

Prevention is better than cure and so we encourage all our patients to share the responsibility for their health. Many of the most serious diseases can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle and without the need for drugs.
We hold a wide variety of health promotion clinics at the surgery, usually carried out by our fully trained practice nurses, following systems agreed with the doctors. A doctor is always available for advice during these clinics.

This will cover all aspects of female health, with advice on such topics as menopause symptoms, hormone replacement therapy, contraception, breast screening and immunisation.

Men can undergo an assessment of their general state of health and can benefit from general lifestyle advice. Services offered include measurement of height, weight, blood pressure, urine test and cholesterol test.

Patients who have asthma will be able to have regular follow-up at this clinic where they will also be offered advice regarding their condition. Height, weight, blood pressure and peak expiratory flow are measured.

High blood pressure can, in the long term, increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Treatment does not always require medication. This clinic offers advice about general risk factors for cardiovascular disease, particularly in relation to high blood pressure. It enables patients who have raised blood pressure to be monitored on a regular basis and to be quickly referred to the doctor when the nurse thinks this is necessary. Patients who have diabetes will be able to have regular follow-up at this clinic where they will also be offered advice regarding their condition. Height, weight, blood pressure and blood monitoring tests will be performed. These clinics are run by a qualified dietician or practice nurse who can provide advice on a wide range of dietary matters, including weight reduction, diabetic and cholesterol-lowering diets. Should you require the services of a chaperone during a consultation with a doctor, for an examination of an intimate nature, this can be arranged. Where possible, please let the receptionist know at the time you book the appointment. During a consultation you may ask the doctor for a chaperone. If this cannot be arranged at the time you can make another appointment and 'book' the chaperone for this. If you are aged 75 years or over, we invite you to attend the surgery, or offer you a home visit, for a yearly checkup. This is carried out by one of the practice nurses.

Some services provided at the centre are not covered by the NHS. The following are examples for which an appropriate charge will be made:

Private medical certificates, holiday cancellation certificates, BUPA/insurance claims forms, medical examinations (ie HGV/PSV licences, taxi drivers, elderly drivers), seat belt exemption certificates, sporting activities, reports for third parties (ie employers, insurance companies) and statements of facts. Please note that this work may take some time to complete as the practice will always put treating sick patients as our highest priority.

It is the practice policy that passport applications will not be signed by the doctors neither do doctors provide references for eg employment applications.

You are entitled to access to your medical records but this will need to be arranged with the practice manager and a charge is payable for this service. There is also a charge for copies of papers from your records.

INSURANCE/MEDICAL REPORTS/DWP/etc

Patients should not make a surgery appointment for these, this wastes valuable GP time as these appointments are for patients who are ill. Requests for these must be made via reception/insurance clerk. Often the doctor can complete such requests without the need to be seen. However, if the doctor does need to see the patient he/she will ask a clerk to make the arrangements outside surgery times.