Heath Hill Surgery

Treatment Room

Appointments are available from 8.30am to 12.30pm and 2.00 to 5.30pm on Mondays to Fridays. The treatment room is staffed by our experienced practice nurses. In most cases they will be able to treat minor ailments and give advice. If necessary they will refer you to a doctor. Appointments are needed with the nurse for baby and child vaccinations, travel vaccinations and advice, blood pressure checks, dressings, ear syringing, hearing checks, smears and coil checks etc. Please make an appointment in the usual way. There are daily phlebotomy clinics by appointment at the surgery for patients needing blood tests. When booking your appointment, please state what type of blood test you require and whether it has been requested by a GP or the hospital.

Practice Activities

Smear Tests

We recommend that all women up to the age of 65 should have regular smear tests unless advised otherwise by the doctor.

The practice will send you a reminder when your smear is due, but if you have any doubt, please ask. The doctors feel that smears are very important so even if you do not wish to have a smear (which is your right) please come and discuss the matter with the doctor and don’t just ignore our letter.
Smears are now routinely performed every three years for women aged 25-49, and every five years for women aged 50-65.

Maternity Care

Care in pregnancy is provided by the practice in conjunction with the hospital and midwife. In nearly all cases the majority of your antenatal care will be carried out in the practice antenatal clinic by the doctors and midwife. The health visitor will offer visits after 34 weeks of pregnancy to all antenatal mothers.

Minor Surgery

The practice undertakes minor operations. These are normally performed by your own doctor. Please note that, for legal reasons, anybody under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Child Development Clinics

Child development checks are performed by the doctors during their morning and afternoon surgeries. For details of clinics please contact the health visitor on 01344 354200.

Health Checks

If they are not seeing a doctor regularly, we encourage all patients between the ages of 16 and 75 to attend at least once every three years, and patients over the age of 75 to attend annually, for a general health screen.

Flu Clinics

These are held annually in the autumn from the beginning of October through to December. If you require a flu vaccination please telephone the surgery in September to find out the dates of the clinics.

Advice On Immunisation

Babies and Children

Babies should have their first injection when they are about two months old. The next two are then given at three and four months.

To make sure they are fully protected it is important that they have all three injections. The triple injection MMR which protects against measles, mumps and German measles should be given soon after their first birthday. The final "baby injections" should be given shortly before starting school. A further booster injection is also required at the time of leaving school.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding immunisation, please speak to a practice nurse, health visitor or your doctor.

Adults

If you have never had a tetanus/diphtheria injection it is important for you to have a course of three injections.

Any woman who may be thinking of having children should consider having a blood test to check that she is still protected against German measles (rubella).

Anyone planning holidays abroad should check with us what vaccinations are needed by completing a travel form available at the reception desk. Please do this well before you are due to travel so that we can make sure that any necessary vaccinations are completed in time. If you have any questions about vaccinations it is better to ask than to just hope you are protected.

Some travel vaccinations are provided free of charge on the National Health but others are not. A list of charges is posted on a notice board.

Health Promotion

We encourage all our patients to share the responsibility for their health, both in preventing disease and in treating existing diseases. Prevention really is better than cure. Many of the most serious diseases can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle and without the need for drugs.

Please feel free to discuss general health and your lifestyle and ask for advice. Here are three ways to help you live, not only a longer, but also a fitter and more enjoyable life:

Smoking

This is the single largest preventable cause of ill health in this country. It is a major cause of cancer, heart attacks, angina and chest diseases. If you would like advice and help on giving up, please ask.

Diet

A healthy diet not only helps control weight, but also reduces cholesterol and helps prevent heart attacks. Ask the nurse for advice.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps prevent heart disease as well as reducing weight and making you feel better.

If you are overweight or out of shape, please ask for advice before starting vigorous exercise.