Services Provided By Our Nurses

Appointments may be made to see a nurse for a wide range of services, including:

• Well person checks and health advice
• Cervical smears
• Travel immunisations
• Wound dressings
• Removal of sutures
• Ear syringing
• Blood tests
• Childhood immunisations
• Information, advice and treatment regarding minor illnesses

Phlebotomy clinics (blood samples) are held every morning between 08:30 and 12:00.

Minor Illness Clinic

Certain conditions can be effectively and efficiently treated using our minor illness clinic.

Family Planning and Antenatal Clinic

Our GPs are on the obstetric list and have a certificate in family planning. They are subsequently well qualified and able to provide a full range of contraception advice and treatments, including implants. These clinics are available on Wednesday mornings. If you would prefer to see a female GP, then please ask.

Patients requiring the morning after contraception will be seen as soon as possible in the next available surgery.

If you think you may be pregnant, please let the GP know before any treatment commences or an x-ray is arranged.

As a general rule, it is best to start folic acid supplements as early as possible in the pregnancy. You should avoid smoking, alcohol and non-prescribed medications.

If you have been advised by the surgery to submit a contraceptive pill review, please use our online form.

Travel Vaccinations and Holiday Immunisations

If you are going abroad, your travel agency should inform you of any vaccines you may require. For travel advice, please visit our Travel Room.

Please submit a travel risk assessment at least 8 weeks before travelling and bring any previous vaccination cards or details with you. It is important to make this initial appointment 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.

Malaria tablets are not available on the NHS. A private prescription will be given if necessary. There is a charge of £10 for this.

Smoking Cessation

There is an active initiative and plenty of support provided by this surgery and other organisations to help individuals to stop smoking. Leaflets, information and access to help is available from the practice. For helpful local and national services, please visit our Wellbeing Centre.

If you have been advised by the surgery to submit a smoking review on a regular basis, please use our online form.

Counselling Service

A qualified and highly experienced counselling service is provided by (NHS Norfolk), called the managed therapy service. This provides a confidential service to our patients. The GP will arrange referrals as appropriate.

Health Visiting Service

Every family with a child under five years old has a named health visitor who can advise on matters such as feeding, sleeping, teething, talking, toilet training, and immunisations. They also manage well baby clinics, meet-a-mum groups, baby massage and baby yoga classes.

You will meet your health visitor shortly after the birth of your baby. During the next few years the team will offer regular contact to give advice and support for you and your family.

Immunisations

Children’s Immunisations

These are best provided at regular intervals. They stimulate the immune system to protect children against illnesses that in the past led to high childhood mortality and morbidity.

Immunisation reminders are sent by the health authority and are usually due at 2, 3, 4 and 14 months with boosters at 4 and 15 years. Please make sure that you bring your child’s red book to appointments.

Flu Immunisations

The flu vaccine is available free of charge to those patients who are either over 65 years or who are considered at risk, i.e. with diabetes, asthma, kidney or renal failure, splenectomy, heart or chronic lung conditions. We also offer a safe and effective nasal spray vaccine to protect children aged two years and older against flu.

These services are provided usually between October and January. The immunisation helps protect against several strains of the flu virus. If you are not entitled to a free flu vaccine but would like to arrange one, you can ask for a prescription at your local chemist and then request an appointment to have the vaccine given by the nurse.

Pneumococcal Immunisations

Please request an appointment with the nurse if you are over 65 years of age or are considered at risk and you would like a pneumococcal vaccine that helps protect against pneumonia. This immunisation covers you for 10 years. At risk patients are those with diabetes, asthma, kidney or renal failure, splenectomy, heart or chronic lung conditions.