Practice Services

The different contracts are run by NHS England (South East Regional Team), the HIOW Integrated Care Board and the IW County Council. Priorities are set to meet national and local needs.  Co-ordination with GP Practices is organised into localities: Wight Primary Partnerships Ltd is in the Central and West Wight Primary Care Network

Health screening is available by appointment with a member of the Nursing Team in our screening clinics. The Practice nursing team will check your blood pressure, cholesterol and urine and give diet, exercise and smoking advice.

We have a limited amount of hearing aid batteries which can be provided to patients.  Please ask our Patient Advisors.

These are done by appointment with the Practice Nurse

We offer various Nurse-led clinics for long term conditions such as Diabetes, Anti-Coagulation, Asthma & COPD.  All clinics are appointment based.

When registering with the Practice all patients are offered a routine health check. This is a valuable opportunity to discuss health needs and for your past medical history to be reviewed. We are required to record ethnic origin.

The Doctors are able to complete private medical insurance claim forms and private certificates and to carry out medical examinations for insurance, driving, employment and sport, at their discretion. These do not form part of their NHS work and therefore a fee is payable.

High street pharmacists are medicines experts and they can also give advice on common health problems which may save you a trip to your GP practice. The Pharmacy First scheme offers expert advice on:

·         Medicines

·         Bugs and viruses (Nasty coughs and colds and flu)

·         Aches and pains

·         Skin conditions and allergies

You don’t need an appointment to see a pharmacist, you can speak in private and many prescriptions are free when using this service.

If you need to see a GP they will refer you back to The Practice.

We offer a phlebotomy service to all our patients, by appointment only, at Brookside Health Centre. Our clinics operate every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and every other Wednesday. On arrival, please book in at reception, or by using our self check-in screen. You must only book an appointment for a blood test if you have been instructed to do so by a clinician.

Blood tests for Hospital Outpatient Clinics are available at the Pathology Department at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport. Please check with the department direct for current clinic times.

Isle of Wight phlebotomy arrangements

The asthma clinic is open to all asthmatic patients. Your doctor may refer you, but you are also able to book your own appointments.  You can either book by telephone, in person, or via Patient Online Services.

The aim of the clinic is to help diagnose asthma, to educate patients about their asthma, and to provide monitoring and support. It is run by practice nurses, who have had special training in respiratory diseases. They will be able to help find the right medication to control symptoms and identify patients with poor control of their asthma. The nurses help patients self-manage their asthma and to improve the quality of life.

These are by appointment with the midwife.  You can pick up an information form to make your first booking online from Brookside Reception.

AUGUST 2023 –  PLEASE NOTE – we are currently extremely busy with enquiries, and so advise that if your travel dates are before the end of 2023, and/or you are planning to visit more than one country, please call and attend the Travel Clinic at St Marys Hospital

Isle of Wight NHS Trust – Travel Clinic (iow.nhs.uk)

We offer advice on medication, vaccination and general health care to enable you to plan your holiday safely.  A holiday vaccination form is available from reception or click here to download. Where possible it is advisable to complete this two months prior to your departure date. This will give the nurse enough time to check your current immunisation status and the requirements for your destination and return the form to you so appointments can be made if needed. Some vaccinations need to be given at least four weeks in advance to ensure cover. The NHS does not cover the cost of all medication needed for overseas travel and there may be a charge.

Alternatively, these services are readily available at certain Pharmacies and Private Clinics – contact your local pharmacy for more information.

Before you travel, it’s important to find out whether you will need vaccinations for the country you’re visiting. The following websites will help you.
• Travel Health
• Fit for Travel
• Masta 
• Gov.uk for specific country travel advice

EHIC to apply for your free European Health Insurance Card

The Practice holds travel vaccines clinics where our practice nurses can offer medical advice regarding travel and administer vaccinations where appropriate.

It is very important that you plan far enough ahead of your travel, and that you make an appointment for at least 8 weeks before your date of travel.  Before you book your appointment you will need to fill out a travel risk assessment form which you can pick up from reception or download from our website,  and return to the Practice once completed, at least one week before your appointment.

The practice is not able to offer travel vaccine support at short notice.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Yellow Fever and some other immunisations have to be done at a designated centre.  We are unable to provide these vaccines at the Practice.

Vaccines which we can administer at the Practice include Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio.

Vaccines which we cannot administer at the Practice include Yellow Fever, Rabies, Meningitis, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis B.

Menopause

Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.

It can sometimes happen earlier naturally. Or for reasons such as surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy) or the uterus (hysterectomy), cancer treatments like chemotherapy, or a genetic reason. Sometimes the reason is unknown.

Perimenopause is when you have symptoms before your periods have stopped. You reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.

Menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flushes and irregular periods. These symptoms can start years before your periods stop and carry on afterwards.

Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on your life, including relationships and work.

There are things you can do to help with symptoms. There are also medicines that can replace the missing hormones and help relieve your symptoms.

You can find out more about the menopause and perimenopause, symptoms and treatment here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/

If you think you have signs of the menopause or perimenopause, you can also contact your local surgery to discuss your options.

Miscarriage/Still born

When someone loses a baby whether as a result of miscarriage or still birth it is devastating for all those involved.

Counselling and bereavement services are available and it’s important to talk to someone about your experiences and get the help and support you need.

You can find information here from the charity Sands https://www.sands.org.uk

and the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance https://babyloss-awareness.org/support/

Osteoporosis/Bone health

Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break (fracture).

It affects over 3 million people in the UK.

Losing bone is a normal part of ageing, but some people lose bone much faster than normal. This can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of broken bones.

Women also lose bone rapidly in the first few years after the menopause.  Women are more at risk of osteoporosis than men, particularly if the menopause begins early (before the age of 45) or they’ve had their ovaries removed.

Many other factors can also increase the risk of developing osteoporosis, including:

• taking high-dose steroid tablets for more than 3 months
• other medical conditions – such as inflammatory conditions, hormone-related conditions, or malabsorption problems
• a family history of osteoporosis – particularly a hip fracture in a parent
• long-term use of certain medicines that can affect bone strength or hormone levels, such as anti-oestrogen tablets that many women take after breast cancer
• having or having had an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia
• having a low body mass index
• not exercising regularly
• heavy drinking and smoking

If you’re at risk of developing osteoporosis, you should take steps to help keep your bones healthy. This may include:

• taking regular exercise to keep your bones as strong as possible including weight-bearing exercises, where your feet and legs support your weight (like walking, running or dancing) and resistance exercises (for example, using weights)
• healthy eating – including foods rich in calcium and vitamin D
• taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D
• making lifestyle changes – such as giving up smoking and reducing your alcohol consumption

You can read more about osteoporosis, prevention, causes, symptoms and treatment here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/

You can also speak to the healthcare team at your local surgery if you have concerns about osteoporosis.

Heart health 

According to the British Heart Foundation, women are twice as likely to die of coronary heart disease – the main cause of a heart attack – as breast cancer in the UK.

As a woman your hormones might give you some protection from coronary heart disease in your pre-menopause years but post-menopause your risk rises and continues to rise as you get older and it is increasingly important to be aware of the risk factors.

These are:

• High blood pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Being overweight
• Not doing enough physical activity

Identifying and managing risks early on could help you lower your risk of a heart attack in the future.

Women over the age of 40 can visit their local GP or nurse for a health check to check their cardiovascular risk. If you’re aged 40–74 and living in England, you can ask for an NHS health check.

You can read more about preventing coronary heart disease here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-heart-disease/prevention/

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Endometriosis can affect women of any age.

It’s a long-term condition that can have a significant impact on your life, but there are treatments that can help.

The symptoms of endometriosis can vary. Some women are badly affected, while others might not have any noticeable symptoms.

The main symptoms of endometriosis are:

• pain in your lower tummy or back (pelvic pain) – usually worse during your period
• period pain that stops you doing your normal activities
• pain during or after sex
• pain when peeing or pooing during your period
• feeling sick, constipation, diarrhoea, or blood in your pee during your period
• difficulty getting pregnant

You may also have heavy periods.   You might use lots of pads or tampons, or you may bleed through your clothes.

For some women, endometriosis can have a big impact on their life and may sometimes lead to feelings of depression.

There is currently no cure for endometriosis, however there are treatments that can help ease the symptoms.

Contact your local surgery if you think you have the symptoms of endometriosis.

You can read more about endometriosis here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition, affecting one in every ten women in the UK, that affects how a woman’s ovaries work.

The 3 main features of PCOS are:

• Irregular periods or no periods at all – which means your ovaries do not regularly release eggs (ovulation)
• excess androgen – high levels of “male” hormones in your body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair (usually on the face, chest, back and buttocks)
• polycystic ovaries – your ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) that surround the eggs (but despite the name, you do not actually have cysts if you have PCOS)

If you have at least 2 of these features, you may be diagnosed with PCOS.

There is no cure for PCOS, however the symptoms can be treated.  Speak to your surgery if you think you may have the condition.

You can read more about this condition here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/

HPV Vaccinations

Girls and boys aged 12 to 13 years (born after 1 September 2006) are offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as part of the NHS Vaccination programme.

The HPV vaccine helps protect against cancers caused by HPV, including:

• cervical cancer
• some mouth and throat (head and neck) cancers
• some cancers of the anal and genital areas

It also helps protect against genital warts.

In England, girls and boys aged 12 to 13 years are routinely offered the 1st HPV vaccination when they’re in school Year 8. The 2nd dose is offered 6 to 24 months after the 1st dose.

It’s important to have both doses of the vaccine to be properly protected.

If you’re eligible and miss the HPV vaccine offered in Year 8 at school, it’s available for free on the NHS up until your 25th birthday for:

• girls born after 1 September 1991
• boys born after 1 September 2006

You can find out more about HPV and how the vaccines work here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine/

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50, but younger women can also get breast cancer.

About 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There’s a good chance of recovery if it’s detected at an early stage.

For this reason, it’s vital that women check their breasts regularly for any changes and always have any changes examined by a GP.

Breast cancer can have several symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.

Most breast lumps are not cancerous, but it’s always best to have them checked by a doctor.

You should also see a GP if you notice any of these symptoms:

• a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
• discharge from either of your nipples, which may be streaked with blood
• a lump or swelling in either of your armpits
• dimpling on the skin of your breasts
• a rash on or around your nipple
• a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast

Breast pain is not usually a symptom of breast cancer.

Mammographic (breast) screening, where x-ray images of the breast are taken, is the most commonly available way of finding a change in your breast tissue (lesion) at an early stage.

As the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women who are 50 to 70 years old are invited for breast cancer screening every three years.

Find out more about the symptoms, causes, diagnoses, prevention and treatment of breast cancer here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer/

If you are in a Domestic or Emotional Abusive situation we can help.  Please let us know and we can discreetly arrange contact with support organisations.

Clinics are held by the practice nurses. Appointments can be made via reception, Patient Online Services or by invitation.

If you have emphysema, chronic bronchitis or chronic asthma, the specially trained nurses in the clinic can help you manage your symptoms and find the best treatment to cope with breathlessness, cough and wheeze.  They are able to do lung function tests to find out how much lung function has been lost and then direct your treatment at that level, to improve your quality of life.

From September each year vaccinations to prevent flu are available for patients over the age of 65 and for those at any age who are at risk from chronic diseases. We will contact you to let you know about available flu clinics.

Flu clinics are also advertised on the practice website, and within the Practice.

Most diabetics are cared for in the practice, rather than being referred to the hospital.  We hold weekly clinics for annual and general reviews run by our specially trained Practice Nurses.  We hold dedicated clinics to assess results and advise on medication, insulin initiation and changes, diet and lifestyle.  As part of the diabetic annual review, an appointment will be made to see the podiatrist, and a retinal screening appointment will be offered. We have close links to the diabetic service at St Mary’s Hospital and offer a combined service with some patients having shared care between ourselves and the hospital.  Patients are referred to the hospital service where necessary.

The leg ulcer clinic mainly specialises in compression bandaging as a form of treatment for leg ulcers.  It is run by the practice nurses and is held weekly at Brookside Health Centre.  Initial assessment is undertaken to determine whether this form of treatment is suitable for individual patients.

It is very important that you comply with the advice, guidance, and requests of the nurses, to ensure that improvement in the health of your leg is achieved.

The well leg clinic aims to promote ‘healthy legs’ for those individuals who suffer from venous disease which may put them at risk of developing leg ulcers.  Follow-up care is offered to those individuals who have experienced leg ulcers in the past.  This is also provided by our practice nurses and is held weekly at the health centre.

Our Social Prescriber can help you with Social Care Service contact and provision set up.

Patients who need information about National Health Dental Services should telephone 111.  There are no dental services provided at Brookside Health Centre.

The Community Nursing Team provide a nursing service to housebound patients only. The service they provide may include wound care, pressure area care, continence support, administration of injections and care of patients who are approaching the end of their lives.

The team are no longer based at the practice and contact for the team has now moved to St Mary’s Hospital, so please ring 01983 534323 to speak to a member of the administration team, or to leave a message.

All patients need to telephone the practice to obtain information regarding test results, but you can also view them via Patient Online Services or on your NHS App.

Please allow at least a week after providing a sample for urine, smear or blood testing, before contacting us.

If we have received your results before you contact us, and the GP has any concerns we will contact you.

You can call us for test results information between 2pm and 4pm Monday to Friday. Please press option 3 for test results once your call is connected.

You can now undertake an online consultation with the Practice via the e-Consult section on our Practice Website.  You can tell us about your medical problem, request a repeat sick note and all other manner of things.  You can also find information to self-help, or find out what your local Pharmacist can help with, by accessing e-Consult.  More and more patients are finding and enjoying the benefits of accessing assistance via e-Consult, which is available 24 hours a day from the comfort of your own home.

Contraception

Contraception aims to prevent pregnancy and contraceptive and contraception are free for most people in the UK.  This includes services for people aged under 16 provided they are mature enough to understand the information and the decisions involved.  There are strict guidelines though for professionals who work with people under 16.

There are currently 15 different contraception methods to choose from so you can choose which one will suit you best.

These include:

• caps
• combined pill
• condoms (female)
• condoms (male)
• contraceptive implant
• contraceptive injection
• contraceptive patch
• diaphragms
• intrauterine device (IUD)
• intrauterine system (IUS)
• natural family planning
• progestogen-only pill
• vaginal ring

There are also two permanent options involving female and male sterilisation.

You can get contraception for free from:

• most GP surgeries (talk to your GP or practice nurse)
• community contraception clinics
• sexual health clinics (these offer contraceptive and STI testing services)
• some young people’s services

You can read a helpful contraception guide here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/?tabname=getting-started

You can also find local sexual health services, including contraception clinics here https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Sexual-health-information-and-support/LocationSearch/734  or call the national sexual health line on 0300 123 7123.

Emergency contraception

Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or if the contraception you have used has failed – for example, a condom has split or you have missed a pill.

There are 2 types of emergency contraception:

• the emergency contraceptive pill – Levonelle or ellaOne (the “morning after” pill)
• the intrauterine device (IUD or coil)

You need to take the emergency contraceptive pill within 3 days (Levonelle) or 5 days (ellaOne) of unprotected sex for it to be effective – the sooner you take it, the more effective it’ll be.

The IUD can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex, or up to 5 days after the earliest time you could have ovulated, for it to be effective.

You can find out more about emergency contraception, possible side effects and where to get it here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/emergency-contraception/

Pregnancy

You can find out all you need to know about trying for a baby, pregnancy, labour and birth, including a due date calculator and various elements of support on this handy NHS guide here https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/

We offer a weekly “Drop-In” Family Planning Clinic at Brookside, on Wednesdays 5:00-6:00pm, with one of our Advanced Nurse Practitioner’s.

You can find information and advice about sexual health, including contraception and sexually transmitted infections on the NHS website here https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/

You can also call your local sexual health clinic if you need help and advice.  You can find details of your local clinic here https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/sexual-health/find-a-sexual-health-clinic

We provide a sexual health service to patients which includes COIL fitting and removal, as well as implants. Please discuss an appointment with an ANP or GP.

Cervical screening is one of the best ways of protecting yourself from Cervical Cancer.

Cervical screening (a smear test) checks the health of your cervix. The cervix is the opening to your womb from your vagina. It is not a test for cancer, it is a test to help prevent cancer.

• All women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 should go for regular cervical screening
• You will be invited to an appointment by letter and it is important that you attend.
• During the screening appointment, a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix.
• The sample is checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause changes to the cells of your cervix. These are called “high risk” types of HPV.
• If these types of HPV are not found, you do not need any further tests.
• If these types of HPV are found, the sample is then checked for any changes in the cells of your cervix. These can then be treated before they get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.
• You’ll get your results by letter, usually in about 2 weeks after your appointment.  It will explain what happens next.

Contact your GP surgery online or by phone if you think you are due to have cervical screening but have not been sent an invitation.

If you are worried about symptoms of cervical cancer such as:

• bleeding between periods, during or after sex, or after you have been through the menopause
• unusual vaginal discharge

Contact your surgery, do not wait for your next cervical screening appointment

You can find about more about cervical screening and watch a short video explaining the cervical screening procedure here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/