Services We Provide

Nursing Services

Our nurses and healthcare assistants offer many services, some of which are listed here. If you would like to see a nurse or health care assistant please make an appointment. The receptionist may need to know which type of appointment you want to book to ensure you see the right member of staff.

Regular checks for people with diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure, previous stroke, heart conditions
Advice on preventing heart disease
Advice on healthy diet or weight reduction
Pre-pregnancy advice
Nursing procedures such as dressings, removing stitches, injections and vaccinations
Family planning and contraception
Smears
Ear syringing
Emergency Contraception (Morning-after pill)
Travel vaccinations and advice. For travel vaccinations it is best to start 6 weeks before leaving the country. We can also give yellow fever immunisation, if necessary. (Please ask at reception for the prices).

nursing services

Additional Services

The following services are also available however you need to see or speak to a GP initially

ECG
Warfarin monitoring
Spirometry

Annual reviews and monitoring for the following conditions:

High blood pressure
Coronary heart disease or heart failue
Stroke
Diabetes
Lung disease (COPD)
Asthma
Under active thyroid
Atrial fibrillation
Dementia
Epilepsy

Minor Surgery

Dr Tom Coffey does minor surgery here for small lesions, lumps and bumps, e.g. moles. We are unable to remove moles for cosmetic reasons, but if you have any concerns about any skin lesion please make an appointment with a doctor to discuss this service. If appropriate they will then make an appointment for the lesion to be removed.

Joint injections

Some of the doctors are trained to give joint injections. If this treatment is indicated the doctor will discuss this with you during the consultation.

Maternity Care

If you are planning a pregnancy, please make an appointment to see the nurse for health advice before you conceive. Alternatively you can read this: Trying to get pregnant. If you are pregnant, you should make an appointment to see a doctor as soon as possible to allow you to discuss where you want to have your antenatal care and delivery of your baby. You will be given information which will help you make the best choice for your own circumstances.

Psychological Counselling

depression

We can refer you to a team of counsellors who offer various support and services including one to one psychological therapies, cognitive therapy and group therapy. In some cases the counsellor may direct you to another service which is not linked to the practice, if it is more appropriate for you.

If you think you would benefit from seeing a counsellor, the first step is to make an appointment to see your GP to discuss it.

Citizen's Advice Bureau

The Citizen's Advice Bureau provide appointments in the practice every week on a Wednesday. You can self-refer by making an appointment yourself through reception, or your GP may suggest you make an appointment. The service is for any patient who needs advice, information or practical support with a wide range of issues including housing, debt, legal and benefits problems.

Long Term Conditions

High blood pressure
Coronary heart disease or heart failue
Stroke
Diabetes
Lung disease (COPD)
Asthma
Under active thyroid
Atrial fibrillation
Dementia
Epilepsy

We provide monitoring and annual reviews for these conditions. Usually you will be invited for the annual review by letter. You will be asked to have a blood test and then see one of the nurses once the results are available. If you or the nurse thinks it necessary, you will be referred to a GP as part of the review, for example if you need a change in medication or if a new problem has been identified.

Women’s Health

Book an appointment with one of our nurses to discuss any of the following:

Contraception advice
Depo injections
Contraceptive pill review
Morning after pill
Cervical cytology (you may know this as Smear test)

Contraception and Family Planning

We offer a number of family planning options.

All the doctors and practice nurses can offer advice on all aspects of contraception. Two of our doctors fit and remove IUDs (coils) including Mirena. To discuss any aspect of family planning please make an appointment at Reception. This is a completely confidential service.

If you have had unprotected sex and require the “morning-after pill” you need to take this as soon as possible, and definitely within 72 hours. If you need advice about this please let the reception staff know and they will guide you to the best option. The morning-after pill is now available over the counter at Chemists and the Pharmacist will be able to advise about how and when to take it.

Blood Tests

This is no longer a walk-in service. Appointments for blood tests will only be booked when a GP or nurse has spoken to you.

A receptionist will then book a timed appointment for you at Brocklebank Health centre (no need to collect the blood form first) or, if you prefer, Queen Mary’s Hospital (but you will need to come to St Paul’s Cottage Surgery to collect the blood test form first).

If you have been asked to have a FASTING blood test, you need to attend in the morning, having had nothing to eat from midnight the night before. You may have a drink of water on the morning of the blood test, but not tea, coffee, fruit juice etc.

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blood tests

Physiotherapy

If you need to see a physiotherapist you can self refer by asking for a form at reception. Physiotherapy is at the practice Monday to Friday and can offer appointments at various times in the day.

Chiropody

There is a chiropody service on site and you can make an appointment at the health centre reception. This service is by self-referral. You do not need to see a doctor first, but simply ask reception for a self-referral form.

Spirometry

If you have a problem associated with the lungs such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease you will need to have your lung capacity measured regularly. Lung capacity is measured using Spirometry where you will be asked by a nurse to blow hard into a tube connected to a Spirometer. The test can be done within a 30 minute appointment at the surgery, all the nurses are trained and there are a range of appointment times throughout the week.

Please bring your inhalers along to these appointments.

Cervical Cancer Screening

A smear test is a screening method to detect pre-cancerous cells.

Cervical screening is not a test for cancer, but checks for cell changes that may, if left untreated, go on to develop into cancer. In many cases, cell changes will go back to normal on their own. In some cases, the abnormal cells will need to be treated.

All women age 25 to 64 are invited regularly for screening.

Attending screening regularly should mean that any abnormal changes in the cervix are identified early on. If needed, treatment can be given quickly to prevent cancer developing.

If you receive an invitation, or think that your smear test is due, please make an appointment with one of the nurses.

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Breast Screening

Women aged 47-70 are automatically invited for screening every three years. Women aged over 70 don’t receive invitations, but are encouraged to make their own screening appointments every three years. Breast screening takes place at St George’s Hospital.

Women are encouraged to be “breast aware”. If you notice any changes in your breasts then you should discuss this with your GP.

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Cardiovascular Risk Screening

NHS Health Checks are being offered to people aged between 40 and 70 once every five years. 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 check should take about 20-30 minutes and is based on straightforward questions and measurements such as age, sex, family history, height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol level. Following the check, you will receive free personalised advice about what you can do to stay healthy.

Everyone will receive an invitation at some point but if you are keen to take advantage of this check soon, then please call one of our healthcare assistants who will advise how to book.

Child Health

Developmental checks

development checks

We work closely with our team of health visitors to provide a full service of child development checks. These are the checks that your child will be offered to ensure that at a particular age, health and development are normal, and to address any concerns that you many have. Please remember to bring your red book to every check.

At 6 weeks

When your baby is 6 weeks old, make an appointment for yourself with your GP to talk to you about feeding or any other concerns you may have. You will also have the opportunity to discuss your contraceptive needs. Make this appointment a double if you wish to discuss any issues about your baby.

At 8 weeks

Please make two appointments. The first appointment is with your GP to check your baby is developing normally and to carry out an examination to ensure your baby is healthy. The second appointment will be with the practice nurse for you baby's immunisations

At 8 months
An 8 month developmental check is available and if you would like to see a health visitor for this, please call the team to make an appointment 020 8812 5454.

At 3-4 years
A developmental check is available and if you would like to see a health visitor, you can call the team to make an appointment 020 8812 5454.

If you would like to have your baby weighed, please make an appointment with one of our health care assistantsThere is a weaning session on the last Friday of each month by appointment

Child Immunisations

Immunisations are used to protect children from diseases such as:

Tetanus
Polio
Pneumococcal infections
Diphtheria
Meningitis C
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

Follow the link below to see the ages at which immunisations are offered. All childhood immunisations can be given by our practice nurses, so please make an appointment if your child’s immunisation is due.

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Men's Health

Prostate Cancer Screening

There are no routine checks made for prostate cancer. However, if you are worried about prostate cancer please come and talk to a GP. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. It is less common in men below the age of 50 years, and the avergae age at diagnosis is 70-74 years. It is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men in the UK. We know that men with other family members who have had it and men who are black are more likely to get prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer can grow slowly or very quickly. Slow-growing cancers are common and may not cause any symtoms or shorten life. It can cause the following symptoms:

Frequency-passing urine more often during the day or night
Reduced flow of urine
Hesitancy-difficulty starting
Dribbling after you have finished going

These symptoms are common in older men and are often due to non-cancerous (benign) enlargement of the prostate, a GP could help diagnose the cause.

The PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, which can give an early indication of prostate cancer, is available as a blood test. However, experts disagree on how useful the PSA test is. This is why there is a lot of research and why there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK. A raised PSA level may mean you have prostate cancer, but other conditions which are not cancer (for example, enlargement of the prostate, or infection in the prostate or bladder) can also cause higher PSA levels in the blood. If we found you to have raised PSA we would talk about arranging further tests.

Cardiovascular Risk Screening

By taking early action, you can improve your health and prevent the onset of these conditions. There is good evidence for this.

Everyone will receive an invitation at some point but if you are keen to take advantage of this check soon, then please call one of our healthcare assistants who will advise how to book.

Flu Vaccination

For some people, an episode of flu is unpleasant (actually it can make you feel dreadful!) and inconvenient. In others, it could lead to more serious complications. For these people at risk of more severe problems, a flu vaccination is available each winter. Every year we invite patients over 65 years and those with conditions for which influenza would be a serious problem, to come in for a flu vaccine. Initially we kick off our yearly campaign with “Flu Day” this is a specific day usually in October or early November where patients who have received a notification from us can come in and get their jab. No appointment is needed on Flu Day and we’ll provide you with a cup of tea and a biscuit before you go home. If Flu day isn’t convenient, you can book an appointment with a nurse or healthcare assistant to get your jab. Let reception know you want a flu jab and they will give you one of the special appointments set aside.

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Methotrexate Monitoring

If you are on Methotrexate for a joint condition and have to go to St George’s to have your blood levels monitored, you may now choose to have the monitoring done at the surgery and save yourself the trip and the wait. If you want to do this please make an appointment with Stephanie who will show you how the system works at Brocklebank.

Warfarin Monitoring

If you are on warfarin you probably have to visit a hospital regularly for blood tests and advice on the dose to take. We are now able to do this at Brocklebank, saving you the trip and the wait. If you are interested in this, please make an appointment with Dr Beugelink or Dr Winstock in the first instance.

New Test

Travel

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.

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travel clinic