Whitworth Medical Centre is a recognised provider of child health surveillance. The national child health surveillance program is provided by  your Health Visitors and GPs. Child Health Surveillance clinics run on Monday’s at 1:30pm by appointment. There are also health visitor drop in clinics on Tuesday afternoon 2.00pm – 4.00pm at Whitworth Childrens Centre, Hallfold, Hall Street, Whitworth, Tel 01706 648747.

Schedule

• New-born
  • This is provided in hospital before discharge. This involves physical examination by the doctor and neonatal hearing testing.

• Post-natal Assessment
  • This is provided by the health visitors on home visits. It includes the heel prick test. When new-born babies are about a week old a blood sample is taken from their heel. Blood from the baby’s heel is dropped onto a special type of filter paper called a Guthrie card and stored as a series of blood spots. A number of tests are then carried out on these blood spots for the purposes of new-born screening.

• 8 Week Assessment
  • Your baby should be weighed and measured by the Health Visitors in one of the Health Visitor Drop-in Clinics prior to seeing the doctor. The GP will provide a physical and developmental examination at the 8 week check. If the baby is well, they will then see the practice nurse for the first round of childhood vaccinations (see child immunisation clinic).

• 9 Month Assessment
  • This is provided by the health visitors and involves developmental assessment.

• 18 Month Assessment
  • This is provided by the health visitors and involves developmental assessment.

Where necessary children will be referred on to hearing , eye, speech or development specialist services. If at any time a child’s condition requires medical input outside of the routine clinics , this can be arranged in the usual way through surgery appointments.

Appointments for these clinics are routinely sent to children through the post when these assessments are due.

Did you know that East Lancashire CCG  have produced a pamphlet (available in surgery) and a  web page covering common childhood conditions. It refers to local services and  is a very good reference for basic advice on many  childhood conditions for parents and carers.

Patients will be contacted by NHS England when their smears test is due. Patients should then contact the surgery to make an appointment with a Practice Nurse. Patients should bear in mind that the smear is best taken around mid-cycle and cannot be taken during a bleed.

The results are sent to patients via post by NHS England and a copy is also sent to the Practice. It generally takes 2-3 weeks for results to arrive.

The recall schedule for patients with normal results is as follows:

• patients aged between 25 and 49 years you will be recalled every 3 years

• patients aged between 50 and 64 years every 5 years.

Borderline or abnormal smear tests will be managed according to the national protocols , where referral on to hospital out patients is needed, the lab will arrange this directly.

For more information about smears click here –  NHS Choices.

• Ante-natal care is provided through a shared care system between your community midwives and your hospital obstetric team. Much of your routine ante-natal care is likely to take place here at the surgery under the care of the midwife.
• Clinics run on Thursdays between 8:30 – 11am. Antenatal Drop-in sessions are also available at Howard St Sure Start, Children’s Centre Friday 9:30-11am
• Secondary care can be arranged at any of the local hospitals that provide this service. In suitable cases home delivery can be arranged.
• If you have any problems during pregnancy outside of routine ante-natal clinic appointments you can contact the community midwife on tel. 01706 517 223, or you can arrange to see a doctor in surgery in the usual way.
• Community midwives provide antenatal care including drop in clinics, parenting classes and smoking cessation advice. Postnatal care of the mother and baby includes breastfeeding support groups and further smoking cessation support. Community midwives also offer advice and support for women who choose to have their babies at home. Contact your community midwife via the office at Rochdale Infirmary tel. 01706 517 223 for further information. Urgent Delivery Suite Rochdale Infirmary, tel 01706 517 561.
• Post natal visits are provided by the midwife team.

• Inspire

Alcohol and Drug Counselling is provided by Inspire in one to one sessions.

Inspire Integrated Substance Misuse Service offer a wide range of support for anyone worried about their own or somebody else’s substance/alcohol use. We offer advice and guidance to individuals and family members through rapid, open access assessment leading to support and treatment.

Self referrals can be made online, by post or by telephoning Inspire directly on 01254 495 382

Please note that our GPs are not involved directly in drug dependence management and it is our policy for GPs do not provide prescriptions relating to drug dependence. Inspire provide this service from local surgeries.

• Pennine Care Drug and Alcohol service

Rochdale Borough Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Support Services is free to anyone 18 and over who lives in the Rochdale area and has problems with alcohol or drug misuse, or is worried about a family member or friend.
The first point of contact for all services is Renaissance whose workers will assess and direct individuals to the service that is most appropriate to their needs.
Renaissance (Drug & Alcohol Outreach Team)

Renaissance House, 72 Drake Street, Rochdale OL16 1PA

Call: 01706 924 883

The Renaissance team are the single point of contact for people (18 and over) living in Rochdale borough, who need support with issues associated with drugs and alcohol. They work with a wide variety of organisations to support individuals and communities coping with the effects and influence of drug and alcohol misuse.
They also offer advice and information to people who are indirectly affected by substance misuse. This could be concerned others, family or professionals working with a client.