Practice Nurses

The sisters provide:

• first aid to minor injuries
• blood pressure checks
• dressing of wounds
• ear syringing
• removals of sutures
• routine injections (vitamins, hormones etc)
• immunisations
• baby immunisation clinic
• general health advice.

Our nurses also provide regular health promotion advice:

• travel and vaccinations
• cholesterol level tests
• asthma management
• smoking cessation
• diabetes management
• alcohol consumption management
• well person routine health checks
• diet and weight reduction
• cervical cytology
• HRT checks
• hypertension management
• well woman and family planning.

Please use the services of the nurse where possible to allow doctors to carry out diagnostic consultations.

Phlebotomist

If you require a blood test only, using the services of a phlebotomist saves valuable practice nurse time. Requests for blood tests are usually via the doctor or practice nurse.

Health Visitor

Please contact Eastwood Clinic 01773 712218 if you would like to contact a Health Visitor.

Our child health clinics are held at either Eastwood or Kimberley Clinic by appointment.

District Nursing

The District Nurses provide skilled nursing care, advice, support, health promotion/education and screening to patients and carers within their own homes who are unable to attend the surgery.

Contact 01773 785463

Midwife

Weekly antenatal clinics and booking clinics are run at the surgery and the Childrens Centre on Chewton Street.

CPN

Limited counselling services are available. These are usually by referral of the general practitioner.

Substance Misuse Clinic

Dr P Exley runs a Substance Misuse clinic each Monday, aided by a support worker and specialist Nurse. Referral, via their own Doctor, is for people over 18 who are registered within Eastwood Giltbrook or Kimberley.

Over 75 Screening Visits

For our more elderly patients we offer an ‘over 75 health check’. This is available yearly at either the health centre or, if necessary, at home. Please contact the surgery - arrangements will be made with the practice nurse.

New Patient Health Check

All newly registered patients over the age of five are asked to have a health check with the health care assistant within four weeks of joining the practice. A 20 minute appointment with the nurse will be offered on registering with us.

Immunisation Advice

It is very important that children and babies are fully immunised. Illnesses such as diphtheria, tetanus and polio are, thankfully, rare now because of recent immunisation policies. Whooping cough (pertussis) causes a very distressing illness with severe prolonged coughing and it is strongly recommended that all babies have this vaccination along with their other baby injections (there are very few contra-indications).

If you have any worries or queries about any aspect of your child’s immunisations, please feel free to discuss them with your doctor, the practice nurse or the health visitor.

The current recommended vaccination schedule is as follows:

• 2 months 1st dose DTaP/IPV/Hib (Pediacel) Meningitis C
• 3 months 2nd dose DTaP/IPV/Hib (Pediacel) Meningitis C
• 4 months 3rd dose DTaP/IPV/Hib (Pediacel) Meningitis C
• 12-18 months MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
• 4-5 years Booster diphtheria, tetanus, polio pertussis and MMR
• 10-14 years BCG (at school) this item not being given at school unless at risk
• 14-18 years Booster tetanus, polio and diphtheria

 NHS Healthchecks

 The Surgery is taking part in a new initiative.  NHS Healthchecks are being offered to high risk patients aged between 40 and 74 once every five years. The cohort of patients is determined by a search tool, if you are at a higher risk (probably because you have not attended the Surgery for some time and therefore we have little recorded information).

The check is to assess your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease or diabetes.  If there are any warning signs, then together we can do something about it.  By taking early action, you can improve your health and prevent the onset of these conditions.  There is good evidence for this.

The surgery will contact eligible patients.  If you receive a letter but decide not to participate in the scheme we would be grateful if you contact us.  This will prevent further letters being sent out. 

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements.  This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.  There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Carribean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible  - at least 6 weeks before you travel - as a second appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations.  These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine.  Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Most travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge.  This is because travel vaccination is not included in the services provided by the NHS and therefore is a chargeable service.

For the first six days of illness, including Saturday, you can self-certify. Form SC1 is available at the surgery for the unemployed and self-employed. Other patients should obtain a self-certificate from their employers. If you are unable to return to work after the first six days you will need a DWP certificate (Statement of Fitness to Work Med 3) signed by a doctor.

If employers insist on a sick note during the first week of illness this will be in the form of a private note for which there is a charge to them, following a written application by the employer with the patient’s consent (ie declaration and signature by them).