Clinics with the Practice Nurse
The nursing service is available by appointment for dressings and other treatments as requested by your doctor.
We hold nurse-led chronic heart disease, hypertension, asthma and diabetic clinics. Where appropriate, you will be invited to attend one of these clinics.
Family Planning and Contraception
The practice offers a full range of family planning and contraceptive advice including the fitting of coils (IUCDs) and Nexaplanon, prescribing the oral contraceptive pill and advice regarding various other methods of contraception. We also prescribe emergency contraception. This advice is available to women of all ages, but particularly young females, and is entirely confidential.
We are also pleased to give advice if you are planning to start a family.
Cervical Smear Tests
We advise a routine smear test every three years for women between 25 and 49 years and every five years for women between 50 and 64 years as per national guidelines. You will be contacted when your routine smear test is due inviting you to contact us to make an appointment for this. If you have not had a smear test within these guidelines, please make an appointment as this is an essential part of the preventative care programme. Most smears are taken by our Practice Nurses.
Mammography
Routine mammography is carried out every three years by the Breast Screening Service when their mobile unit comes to Goole. This is for female patients from the age of 50 to 70 years. You will receive an appointment direct from the Breast Screening Service.
If you are ever worried about any breast problem, or notice any changes in your breasts that are unusual for you, you should make an appointment to see a doctor without delay.
Child Health Surveillance
For children from birth to five years old.
Please remember to bring the patient-held records to each attendance.
New babies will be invited for an eight week check by the doctor, followed by the first set of immunisations with the practice nurse. The practice will send you an appointment for this.
This is a well-baby clinic so if your child is unwell when immunisations are due, please contact the Surgery. For further information regarding childhood vaccinations please visit www.patient.co.uk/health/immunisation-usual-uk-schedule
Travel Vaccinations / Immunisation
You may need travel vaccinations depending on the country or countries you intend to visit. To help us advise you on the protection you need, please see a practice nurse at least 12 weeks ahead to provide time to discuss travel advice.
For some vaccinations there will be a charge.
You will need to:
Useful websites and links for People Travelling Abroad
www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
www.malariahotspots.co.uk
www.passport.gov.uk
www.patient.co.uk
Remember - you may need booster vaccinations for tetanus, polio and hepatitis.
Flu Vaccination
We recommend annual influenza vaccine for patients with chronic heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes and some other chronic illnesses and for those over 65.
Residents of residential homes and nursing homes are also offered immunisation as are some carers of elderly or disabled persons.
Immunisation is currently also recommended for pregnant women.
The annual vaccination programme usually starts in the autumn, and will be advertised in the surgery.
Pneumococcal Vaccination
It is recommended that all over 65s be offered this vaccination. It is usually a once only injection and can be given at any time of the year and will provide protection against pneumonia.
This is also recommended for younger patients with chronic heart, renal or liver disease, diabetes and some other chronic conditions (including some respiratory conditions) as well as patients who have had their spleen removed. Please contact the Surgery if you are unsure if you are eligible for this.
Please make an appointment to see the Practice Nurse for this vaccination.
Shingles Vaccination
The national shingles immunisation programme which has been introduced by the Department of Health is to help protect those most at risk from shingles and its complications.
We are running a shingles vaccination service for eligible patients. If you fall into one of the 'as risk' categories defined by the Deartment of Health we will write to you to offer the vaccination.
90% of all adults raised in the UK have had chickenpox. After chickenpox, the virus stays inside your body and can recur as shingles later in life. Even those people who had a mild case of chickenpox as a child, or didn’t have any obvious symptoms may still be at risk of developing shingles.
Although not everyone develops shingles, as we get older our immune system weakens which increases the chance of getting shingles. Unfortunately shingles in older people tends to be more severe than in younger people. This is why the Department of Health recommend that the shingles vaccine be routinely offered to people aged 70 years.
If you are in the eligible age group and would like to receive the vaccination please contact the surgery to make an appointment.
If you do not want the shingles vaccination, please let us know so we can update our records.
For more information about shingles visit www.shinglesaware.co.uk
Antenatal Care
All our doctors undertake antenatal care usually shared with a midwife and hospital staff. Home deliveries are undertaken by the Community Midwives for selected patients if medical, obstetric and social circumstances are suitable.
Private Medical Services
The Surgery provides a number of services that are not covered by the NHS and therefore there is a charge for these. These include Holiday Cancellation forms, Insurance forms, HGV and Elderly Driver medical etc.
Podiatry (Chiropody)
NHS Treatment
You may apply for NHS Podiatry (Chiropody) by completing an application form which is available from Reception. Following your application you may be invited for an assessment and given a treatment plan. Only patients with medical conditions which put their feet at risk of serious complications will be provided with on going care. Other patients will be given an episode of care or a one off treatment with advice on self care and will be discharged.
NHS Podiatry Services are provided at Goole Health Centre (in the grounds of Goole & District Hospital)
Medical Certificates
If you attend a hospital A & E or outpatient department, it is the responsibility of the doctors there to provide a medical certificate if this is medically indicated. This also applies when a patient is admitted for inpatient treatment.
Community Pharmacy Minor Ailment Scheme
This service is available to patients who are exempt from paying prescription charges. An information leaflet detailing the conditions about which a pharmacist can advise is available from Reception and includes, for example, colds, hay fever, acne, diarrhoea.