Healthcare Assistant Appointments (HCA)
Appointments with our HCA are available across the week at the practice and can be booked by telephoning reception. The HCA provides the following services:
Blood Tests
A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. The HCA will take a sample from a blood vessel in your arm, usually inside of the elbow or wrist where the veins are relatively close to the surface.
Appointments for blood tests with the HCA need to be booked before 1pm as laboratory sample collection occurs around 1.30pm.
Please note the practice HCA cannot take blood samples from children under the age of 16.
Blood Pressure Checks
Learn more about Blood Pressure(BP) on the NHS website:
A BP machine is also located in the practice entrance hallway, guidance is displayed on the use of this facility however please ask at reception if you need assistance.
NHS Health Checks
The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of your overall health. It can tell you whether you’re at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as:
The check is for people who are aged 40 to 74 who do not have any pre-existing long-term condition.
New Patient Health Check
This is a free check up that aims to assess your overall health and provide valuable information to the practice. Health measurement information such as blood pressure, BMI, smoking status and alcohol consumption will be gathered to help create a baseline understanding of your health.
The practice recommends a new patient health check for all patients over 40 years old, patients with long-term health conditions and patients who take regular medication.
You will also be required to have a telephone consultation with the practice pharmacist if you take regular medication to ensure there is no interruption to prescription requirements and to ensure your medication is prescribed safely.
Height, Weight and BMI
The HCA can check your height and weight and provide a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. The practice clinical team can offer you advice and support for staying healthy.
You can learn more about what the NHS has to offer on the Better Health Website:
Wound Management
The HCA and practice nurse offer appointments to support patients with wound care and dressings. Ask our receptionists for more information.
Other Healthcare Professions
You may be signposted by our Care Navigators or clinical team to any of the following healthcare professionals, if they are the best person to help with your problem. You may also request an appointment directly via online service (add link) or by telephoning reception.
Pharmacist
Practice pharmacists are clinical pharmacists who have undertaken a four year master’s degree in pharmacy. Some have taken additional post-graduate training in independent prescribing and therefore are able to prescribe medication within their area of competence.
The role of the practice pharmacist is to carry out medication reviews and help make sure your medication is correct when you have been transferred from another setting or have had a recent hospital discharge. They can also help if you have any medication related queries or issues. If you would like to speak to a pharmacist, please contact the practice to arrange an appointment.
Telephone and Face to face appointments available across the week at the practice.
Health and wellbeing Coach
Health and wellbeing coaches (HWBCs) will predominately use health coaching skills to support people to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become active participants in their care so that they can reach their own health and wellbeing goals. Phil and Alicja can also provide access to self-management education, peer support and social prescribing.
They will work alongside people to coach and motivate them through multiple sessions, supporting them to identify their needs, set goals, and help them to implement their personalised health and care plan. They can provide support and advice regarding weight management and stopping smoking.
Telephone and Face to face appointments available on Monday mornings at the practice and in the local area across the week.
Social Prescriber
Many things can affect our health and well-being which could include feeling isolated, lonely or stressed by work money and housing problems or living with a health condition.
Social prescribing helps people to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to services and activities in their local community. This could include:
- social activities
- walking, well-being and fitness groups
- parent support groups
- arts, gardening and creative activities
- employment and training support
- housing and benefits support
Who is social prescribing for?
Social Prescribing is for anyone who would like to:
- make positive changes to their life
- improve social connections
- feel more connected to the local community
- get information and advice about housing, benefits, employment or training
- live better with a health condition
- improve health and well-being
How can social prescribing work for you?
Our social prescribing link workers will talk with you about what matters to you. They will help you to identify any issues and challenges that you would like to address and help connect you to services and local community activities that can support you.
Telephone and Face to Face appointments available in the local area.
Mental Health Practitioner
Our mental health practitioner provides appointments for people with
First Contact Practitioner
Our musculoskeletal first contact practitioners are physiotherapists with enhanced skills. They can help patients with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain by:
- assessing and diagnosing issues
- giving expert advice on how best to manage their conditions
- referring them onto specialist services if necessary.
Patients with back and joint pain, including conditions such as arthritis, will now be able to contact their local physiotherapist directly, rather than waiting to see a GP or being referred to hospital. Patients can also see a physiotherapist by speaking to the GP practice receptionist or by being referred by their GP.
By making it easier for patients to access physiotherapist, patients will have quicker access to diagnosis and treatment, helping them to manage their conditions more effectively and recover faster, so they can get back to normal life quickly.
Telephone assessment appointments available initially, Face to face appointments can then be arranged in the local area
Dietician
Dietitians have a critical role to play in supporting patients with conditions relating to diet and nutrition. Our fully qualified Dietitian, is able to support patients with irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, coeliac and many other nutrition related conditions and symptoms.
Their skills and knowledge can help prevent worsening conditions and help patients maintain their healthy eating. Not only that but they can help manage patients on ACBS products and often reduce the need for referrals to secondary care and the need for hospitalisation.
Telephone and Face to Face appointments available in the local area
Paramedic
Paramedics are healthcare professionals trained to work in general practice who can see patients for a broad range ailments and health concerns.
Telephone and Face to Face appointments available in the local area
Practice Nurse Appointments
Appointments are available on Fridays at the practice, please telephone reception to book an appointment. Our nurse led services include the following:
Child Immunisations
Travel Vaccinations
We can only currently provide vaccinations for Typhoid, Tetanus, and Hepatitis A. If you require a vaccination that is not listed you will need to attend a travel clinic. For further information regarding travel vaccinations and what you may need please visit Travel vaccinations – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel, you will need to complete a Travel Health Questionnaire as early as possible – at least 6 weeks before you travel – this is to allow time for the practice nurse to assess your requirements and order any required vaccines. You will then be invited in for an appointment which will need to be at least 2 weeks prior to 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.
The Travel Health Questionnaire can be obtained and submitted at reception, or completed online.
Cervical Screening
NHS cervical screening helps prevent cervical cancer. It saves thousands of lives from cervical cancer each year in the UK. In England cervical screening currently prevents 70% of cervical cancer deaths. If everyone attended screening regularly, 83% could be prevented.
Cervical screening is for women and people with a cervix. We offer screening every 3 years from age 25 to 49 and every 5 years from age 50 to 64.
You can learn more about cervical screening on the NHS website.
Long Term Condition Management
As part of our commitment to high quality care for all, we invite patients in for an annual review of their long-term conditions. These patients will be contacted by practice staff offering an annual Long Term Condition review. This will be done by SMS text message or if required by mail.
You can also telephone the practice yourself or attend our reception desk to make an appointment when the time is convenient to you.
Annual reviews give us the opportunity to see how you are coping with your condition and offer advice and support for your needs. Monitoring tests such as blood tests and blood pressure may also be required, and we strongly encourage patients to attend their annual reviews to ensure any medications can be prescribed safely.
The various types of review appointments we offer are run by our practice nurse and health care assistant and are each structured differently, depending on the condition/s being reviewed.
Our practice nurse provides specialised appointments in the following: Diabetes, Asthma/COPD, Hypertension, Chronic Heart Disease, Stroke, CKD.
NHS Adult Vaccinations
Seasonal Influenza – The flu vaccine helps protect against flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. It’s offered on the NHS every year to people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.
Pneumococcal Vaccine – The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against serious illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis. It’s recommended for people at higher risk of these illnesses, such as babies and adults aged 65 and over.
Shingles Vaccine – The shingles vaccine helps protect against shingles. It’s recommended for people at higher risk from shingles, including all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system.
Covid Vaccine – The covid vaccine protects against Covid-19. It is recommended at seasonal intervals for patients at higher risk from the illness, such as patients over 65 and patients with compromised immune systems.
