There are a number of common requests made of the practice that are not a part of our NHS service to you.

• Travel Vaccination
  • Whilst travel vaccination is not a core NHS facility, at Whitworth Medical Centre we have elected to provide our services free of charge. Some of the non-standard vaccinations are not available through NHS prescriptions and as such you may be charged for these by the pharmacist.
  • Our nurses are trained in vaccination issues and have up to date information on requirements for travel.
  • We are currently able to provide all routine travel vaccinations except for Yellow Fever. Yellow fever vaccinations must be arranged at a registered yellow fever vaccination site and we can direct you to local providers if needed. Yellow fever centres will require a charge for this service.
  • Contact reception to arrange a practice nurse appointment for a pre-travel health assessment and vaccination(s). Ideally arrange an appointments at least 8 weeks before travelling. Vaccinations take time to become optimally effective.
  • If you have less notice than 8 weeks before travelling abroad, please ask to talk to the nurse so that your individual needs can be addressed.

• Malaria
  • Malaria is mainly found in tropical areas such as Africa, Central and South America, South East Asia and the Pacific islands.
  • It is a life threatening condition which is transmitted through mosquito bites.
  • Prevention of contracting malaria involves avoiding mosquito bites as well as use of anti-malarial medications.
  • Our nurses can give advice about malaria prevention however if you need medication you may be asked to see a doctor for an appropriate prescription. Some anti-malarial treatments are available over the counter at the pharmacy. Malaria preventive medication is not covered by routine NHS services, whilst as a practice we will not charge you for issuing private prescriptions relating to malaria prevention, it should be noted that anti-malarial medication cannot be issued on NHS prescriptions. As such the pharmacy dispensing private prescriptions will charge the appropriate cost of the medication (not the NHS prescription charge), even for patients who do not usually pay for prescriptions or who pre-pay for NHS prescriptions.

• Other Travel Advice
  • Any of our clinical staff can give you general travel advice when needed.

• Further information about travel health is available at:
  • NHS Choices- Travel

East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals offer a direct access service to patients with unwanted pregnancies. There is no need to see your GP .

To arrange a fast, convenient, free appointment for you to talk through your options, including abortion please call 01282 803767; 8 am to 6 pm  Monday to Thursday; 8 am to 5 pm Friday.

• Appropriate medications can be arranged and monitored through these one-to-one clinics.
• There are several other local smoking cessation clinics accessible at different times of day such as in evenings and at the weekend.

• To arrange a suitable appointment for any of these clinics call freephone 0800 328 6297 or to reach the smoking cessation co-ordinator call 01254 283370.

• For further information about smoking cessation click here, NHS Direct – Quit Smoking

Good Luck!

• Our nurses and doctors have been trained and keep up to date with management of airways diseases such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (also often referred to as COPD, emphysema or chronic bronchitis).

• We run a structured respiratory condition management service for routine monitoring of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
  • Administration staff arrange appointments and reminders where necessary.
  • Appointments are arranged for the nurse led clinic . In this clinic appropriate respiratory tests are done, such as peak flow monitoring or spirometry and examination is undertaken.
  • Advice and information is given and alteration of treatment is arranged where necessary.
  • If a patient’s condition necessitates assessment by a doctor this is arranged.
  • Where necessary smoking clinic referrals, further investigations such as chest X-ray or specialist referral is arranged.

• If at any time a patient’s condition requires medical input outside of the routine clinics, this can be arranged in the usual way through surgery appointments or home visits.

• Appointments for these monitoring clinics are allocated throughout the week between 10am and 5pm. Appointments are sent through the post when scheduled or can be booked via reception.

• Further Information about Asthma and COPD can be found at:

  • Asthma UK

  • NHS Choices – Asthma
  • NHS Choices – COPD

• We offer appointments with our Primary Care Network Physiotherapist Mobeen Janjua who can offer advice on diagnosis and management of new symptoms. These appointments can be booked via our reception.
• Further general information about physiotherapy can be found at NHS Direct-Physiotherapy

MINOR EYE CONDITIONS SERVICE The following conditions are seen under the MECS;

• Watery eyes

• In-growing lashes (trichiasis) – feels like they have something in their eye

• Superficial foreign bodies

• Inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis – red, flaky and itchy lids)

• Dry eye (gritty / itchy / stinging / burning)

• Red eye (with normal vision and no pain)

• Flashing lights and ‘’floaters’’

• Styes and lid lumps (chalazion / hordeolum)

This a free service, even for those who would pay for normal eye tests. The patient can contact the optician directly and ask for a MECS appointment

Document

 Near Patient Testing Guidelines

• Our Nurses run an appointment based clinic at the surgery each morning to perform investigations ordered by your GP. They are responsible for taking blood samples, performing ECGs, urine testing,  weight monitoring, checking blood pressure, setting up 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and various other such roles.

• Please note that many blood specimens need to reach the hospital lab the day they are taken as the blood degrades if held overnight. Blood samples are taken to the hospital via NHS lab transport  at around 11 am and at around 2 pm. We have no later lab collection for samples; for this reason most blood tests need to be taken in a morning appointment slot and con not be taken in late afternoon or evening  appointments.

• Some investigations such as X-rays, ultrasound scans, exercise tolerance tests, echocardiograms and endoscopies need to be undertaken at Rochdale Infirmary. Where appropriate these can be arranged by your GP.

• Our nurses and doctors keep up to date with management of hypertension.

• We run a structured hypertension management service for routine monitoring.
  • This can be provided through regular GP check ups at medication review time or via the nurse led monitoring clinics.
  • Administration staff can arrange appointments and reminders where necessary.
  • An initial appointment is arranged to see our Nurse. She will perform relevant investigations such as blood tests, urine testing, ECGs, blood pressure readings, weight etc.
  • All results from these clinics are assessed by the doctor, and if necessary an appointment with the doctor can be made for adjustment of treatment. Often if the hypertension is well controlled and investigations are normal, this is not necessary.
  • Advice and information are given and where necessary referral is made to the dietitian, the gym, or to the smoking cessation clinic.

• If at any time a hypertensive patient’s condition requires medical input outside of the routine clinics, this can be arranged in the usual way through surgery appointments or home visits.

• Patients with hypertension who already attend either the diabetic clinic, the heart disease clinic, the stroke clinic or the circulation clinic should have their hypertension monitoring and treatment assessed in those clinics to avoid duplication of investigations.

• Appointments for these monitoring clinics are allocated throughout the week between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm and can be booked via reception.

• Further information about high blood pressure can be found at:
  • The British Heart Foundation
  • NHS Choices – Hypertension