Every Wednesday from 1:30pm
Once your pregnancy is confirmed you will need to attend a pre-booking session at Cramlington Health Centre which is held every Wednesday at 9:30am, lasting approximately 30 minutes. At this time you will be able to make your booking appointment and collect your pregnancy notes.

Your booking appointment with the midwife will be at Cramlington Health Centre, lasting approximately 1 hour. We ask that you bring a urine sample and your notes to this appointment.

Following this you will be seen regularly throughout your pregnancy at the practice or at hospital, or both.

If you wish to speak to a midwife please phone: Cramlington Health Centre – 01670 396170

This service is available to all women aged between 25 and 64 years. You will automatically receive an invitation from the practice every three years (from age 50, every 5 years).

The result of your test will be sent to you within 4 weeks following the test. It is sometimes necessary to have a cervical smear repeated. This will be explained at the time of your examination and information leaflets are available. Please make a 20 minute appointment with one of the Practice Nurses for this to be carried out.

It is important to make an appointment before or after your period is due. You should also avoid using spermicide, lubricant jelly or a barrier method of contraception 24 hours before the test. It is important to attend for cervical smears. Early detection of changes to the cervix can be easily treated and may prevent cancer developing in 80% – 90% of cases.

All the doctors and practice nurses advise on family planning including:

• Oral contraception
• Depot injection
• Contraceptive implant (Implanon)
• Various coils (IUCD’s)

Prior to coil (IUCD) and Implanon fitting it is necessary to make an appointment with one of the practice nurses so that you are fully advised and appropriate tests can be carried out. A suitable appointment for insertion will be given at this appointment.

Emergency Contraception

We offer emergency contraception within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

Emergency contraception can also be obtained free from all Family Planning Clinics, Walk-in centres, Accident and Emergency departments and some pharmacists (Asda, Boots and Medicentres). However some pharmacies may charge for this service.

You can also go to:

Newcroft House

• Market Street

• Newcastle

(Open Saturdays and bank holidays)

One to One Centre

• Brenkley Avenue

• Shiremoor

(0191 297 0441)

or contact:

Family Planning Association Helpline

• (0845 310 1334)

• Mon. – Fri. 9am – 6pm

www.fpa.org.uk

All diabetic patients are offered six monthly appointments to monitor the control of their diabetes. An appointment is sent with an invitation to attend two weeks prior to the Diabetic Clinic appointment for a blood test.

The appointments are split into a 6 month review clinic with the Practice Nurse only, followed by an Annual Review Clinic when patients are seen by the Doctor, Practice Nurse, Dietician and Podiatrist (Chiropodist). This ensures all areas of the disease can be monitored in one visit.

Annual checks for diabetics are:

• Medication review
• Blood pressure
• Urine testing
• Weight
• Home monitoring (urine/blood tests)
• Foot care
• Diet and lifestyle
• Annual eye screening (Retinopathy)
• Injection sites (if on Insulin)

Flu vaccinations take place every autumn within the surgery. The majority of clinics operate on selected Saturday mornings throughout October and November. All clinics have bookable appointments.

The Department of Health recommends each year which patients should be vaccinated and the practice makes sure those patients are invited to attend.

If you have refused a flu jab in previous years you will always be contacted again to make sure that you have not changed your mind.

Currently, flu jabs are free to those patients over 65 years of age and younger people who fall into the following ‘at risk’ categories:

• Living in a long stay residential home
• Asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Weakened immune system
• Carers – in receipt of Carer’s Allowance or a main carer of an elderly or disabled person

The doctors undertake some minor surgical procedures at the practice. The range of procedures offered include:

• Certain joint injections
• Removal of small skin lesions
• Currettage of skin lesions

Patients are welcome to make an appointment and discuss with their doctor whether a procedure can be undertaken at the surgery.

Stopping smoking is the greatest single step a person can take to improve their health. Once the daily intake of nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar and other poisons stops the body can begin to repair the damage done by smoking.

The practice nurses offer individualised support to help you quit.
We are able to help you understand the importance of:

• The health benefits of stopping smoking
• Planning for the quit date
• Managing nicotine withdrawl symptoms

Nicotine replacement products are available on prescription (as part of a stopping smoking support programme). – these are designed to help you stop smoking without also having withdrawal symptoms. Research shows using N.R.T will double your chance of success when you try to stop smoking. N.R.T is available as:

• Nicotine gum
• Nicotine patches
• Microtabs (tablets)
• Lozenges
• Nasal spray and an inhalator

Bupropion (also know as Zyban) is a non-nicotine tablet. It works by reducing your desire to smoke and your withdrawl symptoms. Zyban is only available on prescription.

If you feel motivated and ready to quit please make a 20-minute appointment with the practice nurse.

N.H.S. Smoking Help line – 0800 169 0169

Medicines for prophylaxis against malaria cannot be prescribed on the NHS. The practice has produced a booklet detailing the service we provide – please ask at reception.

Following immunisation you will be provided with a vaccination record book to ensure you have an up to date record of the immunisations you have had, how long the vaccination is valid for and when the booster vaccination is due.

We offer advice on malaria prevention and discuss the most appropriate malaria tablets, when and how they should be taken.

We also provide information and packs on the following:

• Travelling with asthma
• Travelling with diabetes
• Long haul travel
• Women and travel
• Rural travel and advice for back packers

If you planning a holiday please book a 20 minute appointment to see the Practice Nurse at least six weeks prior to travel.

Asthma care is provided by the practice nurses. The aim of asthma treatment is to keep you free from asthma symptoms during the day and night and also reduce the amount of time you take off school or work.

Asthma is a long term condition that needs to be treated on an individual basis. It is important to have regular review appointments to monitor your asthma symptoms and treatment you are taking.

To help you control your asthma we aim to provide you with:

• A written personal asthma plan
• An understanding of how your treatment works and which treatment you need to take at different times
• How to use your inhaler
• How to recognise when your asthma is getting worse
• Know what steps to take in an asthma attack

If you would like to discuss your asthma please book a 20 minute appointment to see the practice nurse.

• National Asthma Campaign
• Asthma Helpline – 08457 01 02 03

The Child Health Clinic is open from 1:30pm – 5pm every Tuesday. All children will be invited by the practice for regular check ups from six weeks old.

Childhood Immunisation – Current Schedule

If you require any more information or advice please contact:

• Sue Brown – Health Visitor
• Heather Kennedy – Health Visitor
• Caroline Morris – Health visitor
• Barbara Haggie – Nursery Nurse
• Joanna Vintis – Immunisation lead

The Practice offers health checks to meet individual patient needs. These appointments can be booked at any time with the Practice Nurses. You will need to bring a specimin of urine to this appointment. Specimin pots available at reception.

The assessment includes:

• Height
• Weight
• Body Mass Index
• Urinalysis
• Healthy eating
• Weight management
• Benefits of exercise
• Smoking cessation advice
• Advice about breast self examination
• Cervical screening
• Sexual health
• Contraception
• Menopause
• Advice about testicular examination
• Assessment of family history, including cardiovascular disease, asthma and diabetes

Following your health check we are able to arrange follow-up appointments as necessary and offer ongoing support. We stock a selection of health education leaflets – too many to list. Please ask at reception if you require any further information.

We can also refer you, following a health assessment, to local centres at Concordia Leisure centre in Cramlington and Blyth Sports Centre. Qualified instructors can plan a programme of exercise to meet individual requirements.

If you would like a health check please book a 20 minute appointment to see the practice nurse.

Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment prescribed by doctors to provide women going through the menopause with the hormones that their bodies are no longer producing. The most noticeable effects of taking HRT are a reduction in menopausal symptoms suck as hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness.

There are many different types of HRT, preparations available including:

• Tablets
• Patches
• Implants
• Creams

The first step to take when deciding whether to start on HRT is to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your symptoms and what your options are.

Following this assessment an appointment with one of the doctors will be arranged to discuss an HRT preparation that is most likely to suit your needs.

Podiatrists are highly trained specialists in the care of feet and are able to treat a number of conditions including:

• Biomechanics
• Ingrowing toe nails
• Foot ulcers together with corns and callous

The Northumberland Care Trust Department of Podiatry is open to everyone. Each patient can expect an assessment and if necessary a care plan is developed. The outcome is likely to be:

• A cure
• Education as to how people can manage the problem themselves
• How to prevent reoccurrence

Most patients are discharged on completion of the care plan with those considered of a high risk continuing to receive care.

The Podiatrist will initially assess all patients and may refer to the Podiatry Assistant for further follow up.

Patients can make an appointment to see the Podiatrist without seeing a doctor first. There are no age restrictions to accessing this service. Call 01670 396458 for Blyth/Seaton Valley and 01670 396170 for Cramlington

The practice can no longer offer Travel health advice due to the complexity of changes that occur around the world.

However, many vaccines are provided free of charge under the NHS. These include Typhoid, Polio and Hepatitis A (to destinations where vaccination is recommended). Other vaccines may be provided free of charge if this would complete a course of immunisation. To assess which vaccinations are required we advise you to call MASTA on 0191 213 990 for them to assess which vaccinations you may need for which there is a charge. Should you only need the free NHS vaccinations then we will be pleased to administer them for you upon receipt of a Travel vaccine schedule that MASTA can supply.

Some vaccines, for example, Hepatitis B and Rabies may be available but you will be charged for them, as appropriate.