Clinics & Services

Practice Nurses

Two Practice Nurses deal with blood tests, cervical smears, ear syringing, immunisations, blood pressure, family planning checks, as well as the following specialised clinics: Asthma, COPD, Diabetic, Hypertension, Heart Disease, Smoking Cessation and Weight Management

Family Planning Care

We have a female Doctor who has a great interest in Sexual Health Advice, Family Planning and providing all methods of contraception; oral contraception (the pill), coil etc….

Prescribing Emergency Contraception – please arrange to see a Doctor within 72 hours if you require this, or alternatively speak to the Practice Nurse, who will give appropriate advice

Child Health Services

Baby Clinic: Alternate Thursday mornings 09:30 to 11:00

The clinic, which is run by the Doctor and Practice Nurse, is intended to provide complete health care for your child from birth to 5 years. This includes immunisations, developmental checks and general advice. It is important that your children are fully immunised against all childhood diseases. You will be sent a reminder when an injection is due. Please contact us and make an appointment.

Minor Operations

A GP with a special interest in minor surgery can perform skin biopsies, removal of skin lesions, abscesses and cysts within the surgery.

Please arrange an appointment with a nurse for treatment of warts and verrucae with liquid nitrogen.

Cervical Smears

We recommend that smears are taken every three years (unless advised otherwise). The Practice Nurse will carry this out.

Clinics:

Chronic Disease Management

We provide comprehensive care for those suffering from chronic diseases. Eg. Diabetes, asthma/COPD, coronary heart disease, hypertension, etc.

Weight management

A Weight Management Clinic is available. Please contact the surgery for details.

Smoking cessation

If you would like to stop smoking, please contact the surgery to arrange an appropriate appointment with our Practice Nurse.

Well persons’ examination

If you would like a health check, which includes a urine test (Diabetes Screening), recording your Blood Pressure, Height, Weight, etc., please make an appointment with our Health Care Assistant.

If you are between 40 and 75 years of age a Check4Life health check can be performed. Please ask staff for details.

Counselling

We have a Practice-based counseling service that your Doctor can refer you to.

Non-NHS medical examinations

We are happy to carry out any non-NHS medical examinations, eg. Heavy Goods Vehicle, Taxi, Pre-Employment etc. The receptionist will be able to advise you of the fee.

Travel injections

If you are travelling abroad you may require immunisations. Please make enquiries approximately 8 weeks before you are due to travel and complete a travel questionaire.

Attached Services

District nurses

District nurses work with the Practice in providing nursing care, advice and
support to patients too ill to attend the surgery.

Community Midwives

Tel: 01429 522270 9am-10am for bookings and enquiries.
They offer full maternity and post-natal care. The patient will be visited at home as and when necessary during pregnancy and the post-natal period.

Anti-natal clinics are held at your local Sure Start Centre

Sure Start Childrens Centres contact numbers

• Black hall (0191) 5183135  
• Haswell (0191) 5261581
• Horden (0191) 5865055  
• Shotton (0191) 5265256
• Peterlee (0191) 5181584 
• Thornley (01429) 823156
• Wheatley Hill (01429) 824411  
• Wingate (01429) 837635

Health Visitor

The Health Visitor works in close liaison with the Practice, concentrating on families with children under 5 years of age, especially new babies. 

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
Caribbean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible - at least 8 weeks before you travel - as a second appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations.  Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

Travel Health Questionnaire

To help us offer the appropriate advice, please fill out the online form before coming to see the nurse.

Travel Questionnaire

Travelling in Europe

If you are travelling to Europe a very useful booklet has been published with advice and guidance to help you get the most out of your holiday. To visit please click:- http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/86/en.pdf (this is a large document and may take a minute or two to view)

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)

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