Clinics & Services

Nurse Practitioners: 

Nurse Practitioners can treat you for:

• Acute back pain, joint sprains
• Acute chest infection, asthma or COPD
• Anxiety and depression
• Conjunctivitis, sticky discharging eye, sty, eye infections/allergies
• Cystitis
• Diarrhoea, constipation, piles
• Dizziness, giddiness, unusual headache
• Earache, swollen glands
• Oral thrush
• Raised temperature that does not improve after pharmacists’ advice and home treatment.
• Rashes
• Shingles
• Tonsillitis, cough, sinusitis, sore throat, colds and flu-like illnesses.
• (Please note: a cough may persist for up to three or four weeks after other cold/flu symptoms have gone.)
• Urinary tract infections, Vaginal thrush, soreness, lump or discharge
• Vomiting
• Wounds, scalds, burns, rashes Nurse practitioners may also help you with
• Many other problems such as menstrual disorders, unexplained weight loss, breast lumps, sexual health advice, depression, change of contraception method and pill and HRT.
• Nurse Practitioners also manage long term conditions such as asthma, eczema, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, raised cholesterol levels, diabetes, epilepsy and respiratory disease.

The practice provides management of care to all our patients who are ill or believe themselves to be ill, with conditions from which recovery is generally expected, for the duration of that condition, including relevant health promotion advice and referral as appropriate, reflecting patient choice wherever practicable, and also provides the general management of patients who are terminally ill.  

Antenatal

Wednesday: 12.45 pm – 3.15 pm for booking appointments

Thursday: 09.15 am – 12.00 pm for follow up appointments

This clinic is run by the Midwives. If you become pregnant, you will be given a ‘one hour booking appointment’ at which the midwife will ask you a few questions and carry out some general health checks. You will be seen regularly at the clinics throughout your pregnancy either at the practice, the local hospital or both.

Asthma/COPD

Led by our Practice Nurse Jillian, she offers advice and general health check-ups to patients diagnosed with asthma/COPD.

Counselling Clinic

By individual arrangements.

Diabetes

Led by our Diabetes Specialist Nurse Practitioner, Beverly, these clinics offer advice and general health check-ups to patients diagnosed with diabetes.

District Nurses

Visit patients who are unable to come to the surgery. For patients already being seen by the District Nursing team, their number is 03000 267 979.

Health Visitors

They can be contacted on 03000 263 538 for advice for your baby or children under school age.

INR (Warfarin)

Friday 8.30 am –  12 noon

Minor Surgery

Monthly clinics

Minor operations can be carried out in our treatment room. Please discuss this with your doctor who will then arrange for you to be given an appointment.

Podiatry

Led by the community podiatrist, this clinic offers treatment and advice primarily to patients diagnosed with Diabetes.

Smear Clinics

Appointments can be made any time with either Emma, Louise or Jillian. 

Other Health Care Services

Social Prescribing Link Workers

Healthier & Wealthier Team

First Contact Physiotherapy

Community Pharmacy Consultation Service 

Community Services

Community Nurses

The Community Nurses provide nursing care and advice to patients in their own homes.  They liaise with hospitals and other Specialised Nurses and Services such as Home Care, Social Services, The Macmillan Unit and Chiropody.  They can arrange extra support for patients who require long-term care.

District Nurses

The District Nursing Team provides specialist nursing to those in the community who are unable to get to the surgery for treatment such as wound care.  They are also responsible for the on-going health care needs of housebound patients and their families with a variety of conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, etc. Another large part of their role is supporting terminally ill patients who wish to be cared for in their own home.  Their service also includes the promotion of continence and health education.

Health Visitors

Health Visitors are Qualified Nurses who have received Specialist Training in Child and Family Health.  Early detection of ill-health, monitoring of growth and development and Health Promotion are their responsibility, with particular reference to mothers, babies and the under 5’s.  The Health Visitor liaises closely with the GPs, Nurses, and other professionals aligned to medicine such as Speech Therapists, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators and Social Workers.  The Health Visitors have knowledge of the facilities and resources available to families and children in the area.  They will see patients at home or in their clinic.

Community Midwives

Our Community Midwives work with the Doctors to provide care of mothers before and after delivery and care of babies in the first 28 days of life. Booked appointments only.

Travel Vaccinations

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to complete a travel vaccination questionnaire and hand in at reception.  Please collect a form from reception or print off from below and our practice nurse will determine what vaccinations are required depending on the country/area you are travelling to.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Caribbean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

It is important that you complete the travel form at least 6 weeks before you travel - as an appointment may will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations. These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

We cannot recommend specific travel clinics, but to help, below are links to some local clinics that offer travel clinics: 

http://www.masta-travel-health.com/travelclinic/bowburnpharmacy

https://www.masta-travel-health.com/travelclinic/mastanewcastle

Your local pharmacy may be able to advise of other travel vaccine centres.

Travel Health Questionnaire

To help us offer the appropriate advice, please see the following documents before you contact the practice:

Travel Health Patient Information Leaflet

Travel Vaccine Questionnaire

Travelling in Europe

If you are travelling to Europe the EU has published useful information for travellers on the European website.

Non-NHS Services

Some services are not covered by the NHS and a charge will be made in line with the BMA scale of fees.              

These include medical examinations e.g.:

• HGV Licence
• Employment Medicals
• Driving Insurance etc.

As well as certain certificates e.g.:

• Private Insurance Claims
• Private Sick Notes
• Holiday Cancellations etc.

Test & Results

Laboratory Specimens 

If you are asked to hand in a specimen, please ensure that we receive it in the correct container obtained from the surgery, and that you have handed it in by 11:00 am. The container should be marked with the following:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Date of sample

Similarly, if you need a blood test please make a morning appointment.

Test Results

Please telephone the surgery for the results of any tests that you have had. It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if you are advised to do so.

Please call after 9 am on 0191 371 0232 to enquire about your test results. 

When you take your test you may be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice, but as a guide please allow one week for blood tests, two weeks for X-Rays and at least six weeks for cervical smears.

Please note:

1. Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results. In the interest of confidentiality please be prepared to identify yourself.
2. Please do not expect the reception staff to have any medical knowledge.  They are instructed only to tell you if your test is normal.  If the test is abnormal or you require further discussion or interpretation then please refer to your Doctor.

Community Pharmacist Consultation Service 

Did you know that you could visit the local Pharmacist for a Minor Ailment rather than seeing a GP? 

No referral needed, simply walk in and speak to the Pharmacist.

Please be mindful that the Pharmacist may not be able to see you depending on how long you have had the condition.

Below is the table including what ailments the Pharmacist can review and treat:

First Contact Physiotherapy

It is estimated that musculoskeletal conditions account for around one in five GP appointments.

FCPs can support GPs with their musculoskeletal caseload by seeing these patients instead of the GP, ensuring that they are seen by the right person in the right place at the right time. This will free up GP appointments for those who need them.

Click on the link below for more information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WReMOHykQw

Minor Eye Conditions and Treatment Service (MECATS)

Did you know that some Opticians could help you with:Red eye

• Gritty / itchy / dry / uncomfortable eye
• Sore / painful / light sensitive eye.
• Discharge/sticky eye
• Watery eye
• Contact lens stuck in the eye
• Foreign body in eye/scratches to the eye
• Lumps and bumps in vicinity of eye
• Flashing lights, floaters, things/objects/patches in the vision or sight
• Double vision, seeing two or more objects with recent onset, where patient is not unwell

Contact your local Optician if you have any of the above issues as they may be more appropriate to carry out any investigations. 

Please visit your local Eye Casualty or Urgent Care Centre if you have any of the following: 

• Severe eye pain
• Chemical injuries or household chemical (bleach, acid etc) splashes - was out continually
• Sharp trauma, facial / eye lacerations or glass injuries

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