Services Available To Patients Of Our Surgery

Adult Vaccination
All adults should ensure they have tetanus, diphtheria and polio cover. Our Practice Nurses can advise you. Flu vaccinations are available each autumn for over 65 year olds and people with certain medical conditions e.g. chronic chest problems, diabetes and heart disease. Pneumococcal vaccine is targeted at certain individuals and will be offered, if appropriate.

Antenatal
Appointments are available throughout the week during routine Surgeries, or at the Antenatal Clinic on Tuesday afternoons, when a Doctor and Midwife are in attendance.

Cervical Smears
It is important for all women between the ages of 20 and 65 to have regular cervical smears. These can be done by either the Doctors or the Practice Nurses.

Child Health
Vaccinations:- Childhood vaccinations are given at 2, 3 and 4 months, to protect small babies from whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, HIB meningitis and Meningococcal meningitis C. Booster immunisation is also offered to pre-school and 15 year old children.

Family Planning
Advice can be given by your Doctor or the Practice Nurses.

Foreign Travel
A full range of advice and immunisation is available from the Practice Nurses.
Please arrange these well in advance of your travel date, by telephoning the Surgery and speaking to a Receptionist.

Minor Surgery
Minor operations are carried out by the Doctors at the Surgery, by appointment.

Non NHS Medical Examinations
If you require such a medical, please state this at the time of making the Appointment. Please note, a fee will be payable for these examinations. The Receptionists will be able to advise you of the costs, or see 'Fees' page.

Reports/Results
If your Doctor asks you to phone the Surgery for a test result or report, please telephone in the afternoon, when the phone lines are less busy.

Well Baby Clinic
This is held on Wednesday afternoons, between 2pm and 4pm.
Appointments must be made for 8 week and 8 month checks. A Doctor and Health Visitor work together to assess the well being of infants and toddlers. As all vaccinations are undertaken at this Clinic, there is the opportunity to discuss any worries or queries you may have regarding the vaccination schedule.

Wheelchair
There is a wheelchair available for patient use within the Surgery. Please contact a member of Staff if you wish to make use of this facility.

Additional Services

Counselling
Mrs Susan Cullen, Counsellor, BD Counselling Dip
At present ours is the only Practice in Preston Primary Care Group to offer the service of counselling in the Surgery.

There are several real benefits to the patient:- it is possible to be simultaneously in the care of your Doctor and the Counsellor, who have the opportunity to speak to one another if necessary, so that you may have a coordinated plan of care. The Service is local, user-friendly, confidential and discreet. Since it is our own Doctors who refer patients, it is possible for priority to be given to those most in need of help and emergency appointments can usually be fitted in.

Many patients see their Doctor when tragedy befalls, because he/she has become a friend and confidant, but it is rarely possible for the Doctor to give much more than the allotted time. An appointment with the Counsellor normally lasts 50 minutes.

Patients suffering from depression are able to make the choice of taking medication or opting for a ‘talking cure’. Often both options are helpful, or even necessary, medication can help when progress feels impossible. In the long term, it is usually very important to look at underlying causes if the condition is not to recur.

Many people use counselling to help them with relationship problems, others because they wish to feel more confident, or be more assertive. Sometimes there is a seemingly impossible problem that needs dealing with and help to look at it from a different angle is useful. Addictions or phobias can be dealt with in counselling, sometimes with the help of other professionals.

Maybe you did not know of the availability of the Counselling Service, or maybe, on reading this article, you have realised that you have wanted, or needed, this kind of help for a long time.

Waiting time for appointments is usually 2-6 weeks.