OUR NURSING SERVICES

The practice nursing team monitor patients with chronic illness such as asthma, diabetes, thyroid, epilepsy and coronary heart disease on a regular basis. 

They also currently offer the following services: 

Cervical screening, contraceptive advice, HRT advice/monitoring, blood pressure checks, well person/new patient checks, removal of sutures/clips, wound care, travel advice/vaccinations, injections, minor illness advice/treatment, ear syringing, medication reviews and weight-loss advice.

Child immunisation clinics are held each week. 

HEALTH CARE ASSISTANTS/PHLEBOTOMIST

The health care assistants are responsible for the anticoagulant clinic as well as new patient checks,  ECGs, dressings and phlebotomy. 

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM

The Primary Care Trust employs community nurses who provide skilled nursing care to those patients who are housebound. This includes chronic illness, wound management, palliative and terminal care. They work alongside the surgery team and hospital-based nurses, in order to plan and deliver the care needed. 

CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES

We offer a full range of confidential contraceptive advice and services. This includes the combined "Pill", the "Mini-pill", injections, implants, IUDs (coil) and IUS (Mirena coil). Emergency contraception is offered also, either as IUD, or as the "Morning-after pill"

HEALTH VISITORS

Health visitors are registered nurses with additional training in preventative care, health promotion and child health for those under the age of five. Health visitors can offer advice, information and support about a range of issues:

• Your child’s development
• Behavioural problems in the under 5 year olds 
• Childcare options
• Local groups and services
• Staying healthy

Health visitors visit at home to talk in private and also run child health clinics and parents and baby groups. Health visitors can be contacted on 01380 732565.  They are now based at Devizes Community Hospital. 

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

All physiotherapy appointments are now held at Devizes Community Hospital.

COUNSELLOR                                              

Counsellors visit the surgery twice a week.  Referral is made only through a doctor.

MINOR SURGERY

We provide Minor Surgery on the premises.  Appointments are made by referral from one of the doctors.

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HEALTH INFORMATION

• Mammograms are recommended for all women aged 50-70 every three years.  You will receive an appointment from the Wiltshire Breast Screening Service.
• Make sure all your vaccinations are kept up to date.
• Women aged between 25-64 are advised to have regular cervical smears  - you will be sent a reminder by the Cervical Screening Service and you will receive the result directly from them.  The surgery will also receive a copy.
• Health education leaflets offering helpful information are available from the waiting room.
• Emergency contraception - the ‘morning after’ pill - can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, but is more effective the earlier it is taken.  It can be bought at most pharmacists (without prescription) or obtained on prescription.
• Pregnancy tests are not available in the surgery but can be obtained from a pharmacist.

Travel Vaccinations

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. 

Information about countries and vaccinations required can be found on the links below:

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Carribean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

It is important to make the initial appointment as early as possible  - at least 8 weeks before you travel -  a second and even a third 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/third appointment needs to be several weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines time to work.

Sickness Certificates

You do NOT need a medical certificate (Med3) from a doctor unless you have been unwell for more than seven days.

If you are under hospital outpatient care, please obtain your certificate from the hospital doctor.

If you are off work for four, or more, days in a row you need to fill out a self-certificate form SC2.

You can obtain this from reception, the Post Office, DSS or on the HMRC website.. It does not require a doctor’s signature. If you are self-employed you can also obtain a copy of SC2 from the local DSS office. 

For any illness lasting longer than seven days you will need to see or speak with a doctor for him/her to issue a sickness certificate (F.med3) and for any subsequent renewal of the certificate. If your employer insists on a sickness certificate for 7 days or less a charge will be levied.  Please note that we are unable to pre-date medical certificates.

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Non-NHS Services

There are many services that are not provided by the NHS.

A fee will therefore be charged for the services listed below:

• Pre-employment medical examinations
• HGV/PSV/taxi licence medical examinations
• Fitness Certificates for sporting activities
• Holiday cancellation letters/forms
• Non-NHS letters
• Verification for private medical companies
• Passport/driving licence signing
• Reports for insurance companies/solicitors
• Travel vaccinations
• Vaccinations for employment purposes

Medical Examinations take at least half an hour and those which involve driving licence renewal should be booked well in advance of the licence expiry date.

A list of the fees that the surgery charges is displayed at the reception desk.

*To be reviewed April 2012.

**Charge applies to non-UK residents from countries without a reciprocal arrangement.

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