Clinics & Services

Carers

Are you a carer?  Do you, unpaid, look after a friend or relative who is ill, frail, disabled, mentally ill or misuses drugs or alcohol?

This surgery is keen to recognise the valuable contribution that carers make. We are currently working with a local voluntary organisation, Carers in Hertfordshire, to identify carers and give them support. With your permission we can put you in touch with Carers in Hertfordshire who can offer information, support and regular free newsletters for carers. Please complete this form and send it to the surgery.

Child Health

Your baby’s 6 week check is performed at the surgery and your health visitor can be contacted for health related advice.

Community Midwives

Messages can be left at Lister Hospital Ante-Natal reception on (01438) 314333, extension 5606.

Community Nurses

Community Nurses are attached to the practice. They are available on (01438) 364015 from Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.30pm, there is an answer-phone at times when they are not in their office.

Family Planning & Contraception

General advice can be obtained from any of our doctors and family planning trained nurses. 

Appointments can be made with a doctor and a family planning nurse for fitting of the coil and contraceptive implants.

Emergency contraception is available in surgery hours from the doctors.

Find out which NHS Service is right for you?

The NHS provides a wide range of services, from pharmacists, to GPs, to urgent care centres and hospitals. It is important that you know which service is the right one to use when you are unwell.

Find out more from our Let's Use It Right Leaflet.

Health Promotion

Held daily: 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 6.00pm. 

These appointments give an opportunity for screening, discussion and monitoring advice on a wide range of topics listed below. Please ask at reception.

Asthma, diabetes, hypothyroid, epilepsy, coronary heart disease (CHD), healthy eating, healthy travel, menopause, well woman screening, well person, sexual health.

Health Visitors

Health Visitors work closely with the practice advising developmental progress and emotional problems in childhood; in care of the elderly and those with special needs. 

They can be contacted on (01438) 737760.

Healthy Eating

Dietary advice and encouragement to achieve and maintain your desired weight. Held by the nurses during surgery hours.

Maternity Services

Ante-natal and Post-natal care is provided by all our doctors.

Minor Surgery

Minor surgery is performed, in our minor operation room, by the doctors where appropriate, thereby avoiding unnecessary waiting for hospital appointments.

Nurse Practitioner Led Minor Illness Clinic

Our Specialist Nurse Practitioner can help you with any of the following conditions:

Our Specialist Nurse Practitioner will not see:

• Babies under 3 months old
  
• Pregnancy related problems
  
• Breast/testicular lumps
  
• Chronic ongoing problems
  
• Where a repeat prescription is required

Ask at Reception for further details

Phlebotomy

There is a daily service in the surgery for blood tests. Please make your appointment with the receptionist.

Practice Nurse Appointments

Our team of Practice Nurses may be seen, by appointment, for many aspects of care, including cervical screening, family planning, health promotion, chronic disease management, advice, smoking cessation, travel and flu vaccinations, etc.

Sexual Health

Appointments can be made with our Family Planning nurses.

Stop Smoking

Smoking - Reasons for giving up

• Smoking is the biggest single preventable cause of death
• Lung cancer kills 38,000 people per year in the UK
• Bladder cancer and stomach cancer risk is doubled
• Smokers are twice as likely to die of a heart attack
• On average a smoker shortens his/her life by five minutes for each cigarette smoked
• Children of smokers are more likely to get chest and ear infections
• Women get increased risk of abnormal smear or osteoporosis

How to stop

• Decide on a definite date to stop
• Get your partner or friend or family to stop with you
• Put the money aside that you would have spent and treat yourself later
• Tell everyone you are going to stop

What else can help?

• We run smoking cessation clinics for our patients - tel: 01438 361111 
• Nicotine chewing-gum or skin patches can help with troublesome withdrawal symptoms.
• If you wish to quit smoking, text QUIT plus your postcode to 88088, or go to www.nhs.uk/smokefree or www.facebook.com/nhssmokefree or call Smokefree on 0800 169 0 169 (weekdays 9am - 8pm, weekend 11am - 5pm), or textphone 0800 169 0 171.
• Hypnotherapy
• Acupuncture

What can you gain?

• Your chances of avoiding a heart attack and lung cancer will improve
• It will help that smoker's cough
• Your breath, your hair and your clothes will stop smelling of stale tobacco
• If you are pregnant, your baby will stand a better chance of being born healthy 
• There is a lower risk of osteoporosis for women.
• Pay less tax!
• Save money
• Reduce risks related to passive smoking of those around you
• Cheaper life/health insurance

Travelling Abroad

Travel abroad is so common nowadays that it is often easy to forget the necessary precautions. Make sure you don't turn your holiday into a horror story. Consult our practice nurses at least two months before departure. They will advise you what vaccinations are required and what medications you may need. If a prescription is required for Malaria prophylaxis you will need to make an appointment to see a doctor.

Useful free advice on vaccinations etc. is available at www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk.

Make sure you have adequate medical insurance. If you are visiting an EEC country you will need an EHIC card which will allow you to receive limited reciprocal health care dependent on the country being visited.  Forms are available from the practice nurses or the Post Office.

• Take a small first aid kit.
• Personal hygiene is essential
• Beware bites from insects and animals. Many diseases are insect borne and rabies is widespread in some countries.
• Be careful with raw vegetables, salads, fruit, shellfish and ice-cubes. Use sealed bottled water where possible.
• Respect the power of the sun, use sun creams regularly
• Sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV) are a major health threat throughout the world. Condoms offer some protection.

The Practice Nurse can advise you if you need malaria prophylaxis tablets and whether these can be obtained 'over the counter' from a chemist or if you need to see a Doctor to get a prescription, which can then be obtained from our dispensary or a chemist. Malaria tablets always need to be started before going away and for a period of time after you return from your holiday (length of time dependent on type of tablet required) so please book your appointment at least one month (two months if travelling extensively to multiple countries) before departure to allow for this.

Vaccinations

All childhood immunisations, tetanus, travel vaccinations and other immunisations are available. 

Influenza vaccinations are given September to January. 

Please ask at reception for more details.