Baby Clinic
Our Practice Nurses run a baby immunisation clinic through the week; these are pre-booked appointments and we will send out details of appointments when your child is due to receive an immunisation. We will be unable to immunise your baby if you do not attend for the 6-Week Check, which you will also receive an appointment for.
If you have any concerns about your child's health, please contact the surgery and our On-Call Doctor and Nurse Practitioner will be available to help you.
Please visit Start 4 Life for help and advice during pregnancy, birth and parenthood.
The more you know about your pregnancy and your options, the more you are likely to feel in control. The information given here is based on The Pregnancy Book, which your midwife should give you at your first appointment.
Before you are pregnant
Your pregnancy and labour
You and your baby
General pregnancy topics
Asthma Clinic
The practice nurse can see you regularly to advise on inhaler technique, self monitoring of asthma, medication changes when necessary and general lifestyle improvements.
Breast Screening
As part of the NHS breast screening programme, all women aged between 50 and 70 will be called for mammography (x-ray of breasts) every 3 years. The Breast Screening Programme is looked after by the RVI and you will receive an invitation letter when your screening is due.
Cervical Screening
Everyone with a cervix aged 25-64 is invited for cervical screening. By having regular screenings, any changes that may occur in the cervix may be picked up early before they become cancerous.
Our practice nurses carry out cervical screenings. You should wait until you receive your invitation letter from the NHS before you book your screening as, should it be done too early, the sample will be rejected and we will have to get you back in to repeat the screening.
You can find out more here.
Counselling Service
The practice has a counselling service for both adults and children which our GPs will refer you to.
Dietary Advice
All doctors and practice nurses are able to offer dietary and lifestyle advice in a routine appointment, written information is also available.
Family Planning
You can see the practice nurse for emergency contraception or for monitoring and repeat prescriptions of pills and injections. All doctors are able to provide a confidential family planning service including emergency contraception, the contraceptive pill and injections. Coil fittings and the contraceptive implant can also be arranged.
Health Checks
If you have one of the following conditions, you will normally be invited for an annual review:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
- Heart disease
- Asthma
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Learning disabilities
- Dementia
- Severe mental health problems
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Stroke/TIA
We invite all eligible patients for an annual health check just before their birth month.
Influenza Injections
Each Autumn/Winter we run flu clinics. Anyone over 65, or suffering from a Chronic Disease at any age is at an increased risk from flu and should be vaccinated. Look out for the adverts when flu vaccines arrive.
Pregnancy
When you first learn that you’re pregnant, get in touch with us as soon as possible. Our reception team will make you a telephone appointment with our Senior Healthcare Assistant, who will then provide a referral form to our midwife team. Telling us that you are pregnancy promptly will help to make sure you receive maternity healthcare that takes into account all your health needs and preferences.
It’s best to see them as early as possible to obtain the information you need to have a healthy pregnancy, and because some tests, such as screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia should be done before you’re 10 weeks’ pregnant.
Sexual Health Clinic
We do not offer a sexual health clinic in terms of sexually transmitted disease screening. You can contact the New Croft Sexual Health Centre who offer a Sexual Health Clinic for all ages by visiting their website, or calling them on 0191 229 2999 to seek help on:
- Asymptomatic screening for STIs by providing a DIY kit
- Symptoms of an STI (sexually transmitted infection) such as discharge from the penis, ulcers and sores.
- HIV prevention (post-exposure prophylaxis after sexual exposure to HIV known as PEPSE), HIV testing and HIV treatment
- HIV PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)
- If you have been in contact of an infection such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea
- Emergency contraception including emergency pills (previously known as morning after pill) and copper IUD (coil)
- Contraception including long acting reversible contraception such as copper and hormonal IUCs (coil), contraceptive implants
- Progestogen only pills (eg. Desogestrel) and where possible combined pills/patches/rings (eg. Rigevidon)
- Depo-Provera or Sayana Press injections
Young People’s Sexual Health Clinics at New Croft
There are two Young People’s Walk-in Clinics available at New Croft. Their free, friendly and confidential sexual health information and support walk-in service is delivered in partnership with Streetwise Young People’s Project
- Every Wednesday afternoons between 3.30and 5:30pm – this clinic is for young people aged 17 years and under
- Every Saturday morning between 10am – 12pm – this clinic is available for young people aged 24 years and under
Find out more in their Young Person’s Clinic Section.
We can provide emergency contraception, as can a pharmacy.
Travel Vaccinations
Travel From
We can advise you and arrange your travel vaccinations and medications.
You should ask us for a travel questionnaire at a minimum of 8 weeks before travel, complete it and return it to the surgery. The Practice Nurse will review your questionnaire, assess what vaccinations you need, and we will contact you to make an appointment.
Some travel vaccinations and medications cannot be provided by the surgery, in which case you will be directed to a local travel clinic.
It is important to make this initial contact as early as possible - at least 8 weeks before you travel, and we will do our best to accommodate requests subject to the number of travellers and the vaccination requirements, as well as appointment availability.
If you are travelling within a shorter timescale you will need to contact a travel clinic to arrange your vaccines. Local contact numbers are Masta 0330 100 4272 or Superdrug telephone 0191 2603190. You can also visit Regent Street Clinic.
Please note only the following vaccines are available on NHS Prescriptions:-
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Polio
Immunisation against infectious Hepatitis (Hepatitis A) is available free of charge on the NHS in connection with travel abroad. However Hepatitis B is not routinely available free of charge and therefore you may be charged for this vaccination when requested in connection with travel abroad
If you are unable to wait for our next available travel advice appointment, as advised by the reception staff, then you can attend any Private Travel Clinic (you can obtain these numbers in the Yellow Pages see link below i.e. type in “travel clinic” then “your area”, to display a list of clinics) charges will apply at these clinics.
There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below.
Travelling in Europe
If you are travelling to Europe the EU has published useful information for travellers on the European website.
Useful links
Travel Health Pro
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Lonely Planet
International Society of Travel Medicine
Diabetes and Travel
Fit for Travel - an NHS site written at the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health
MASTA
Travel Health
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
Weight Management
This is offered by our Health Care Assistants and they can advise you on healthy diets and ways to manage your weight. Alternatively, we could refer you to a weight management clinic, subject to meeting their referral criteria.
Do you need to loose weight? There are a number of online resources and local clinics that you can access without having to see your doctor for a referral.
Weighing too much or too little can have a number of consequences on your overall health.
Why a healthy weight range is important
By being above or below your healthy weight range you’re increasing your chances of suffering from a number of serious health problems.
Health problems associated with being overweight include:
- type 2 diabetes
- stroke
- heart disease
- some cancers
- issues with fertility in women
- high blood pressure
- osteoarthritis
- fatty liver disease
- kidney disease
Health problems associated with being underweight include:
- weakened immune system
- osteoporosis
- anaemia
- issues with fertility in women
- palpitations
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight safely and at a realistic pace is the best way to reach your healthy weight and to maintain that weight in the long term.
To make sure you lose weight safely, always speak to your GP before starting a new diet or fitness regime.
Dieting safely
You can achieve safe and realistic weight loss by cutting your calorie intake by between 300 to 500 calories per day. On average, this should see you lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. While this might not seem like much, it would equal between 26 and 52 pounds in only 6 months.
Setting small and realistic goals will help you lose weight safely and will make you more likely to maintain any weight loss in the long term.
Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, starchy carbohydrates and whole grains will keep you fuller for longer and less likely to snack. Picking these foods is a much better way to approach healthy eating and weight loss.
Non-NHS Services
Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:
- Life Insurance examinations
- Pre-employment medicals
- HGV licence medical
- PSV licence medical
- Taxi licence medical
- Insurance verification
- Holiday cancellation forms
- Identity confirmation documents i.e. passport applications
- Other medicals for non-NHS bodies
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
Why does my doctor charge fees?
When your doctor is asked to give medical information about you in the form of a report, letter or certificate, the request kick starts a series of processes.
This takes time and is not always straightforward or simple to complete. Some of the information is not available easily and will mean the doctor has to sort and select the right information for the request.
The doctor also must establish who is funding this work and if it is not part of their NHS work, agree a fee for this.
Surely the work is paid for by the NHS?
Many patients see their doctor as the embodiment of the NHS and all that it provides – free care at the point of delivery. However not all work doctors are asked to do is paid for by the NHS and many GPs are self-employed.
This means they must cover their time and costs - staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc - in the same way as any small business. The NHS only pays for NHS work, any work outside of the NHS must be funded by other means and this is why fees are charged.
Why does it take so long?
Your doctor receives large amounts of requests which is often to do with whether your general health allows you to do something e.g. to work, receive benefits, drive, play sport, attend school, own a house, a firearm or it is for insurance, court or other medico-legal reasons.
All requests will vary in complexity, volume and consistency ranging from signing a certificate which can take minutes, to an in-depth report with an examination that can take hours.
What your doctor is signing
When your doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.
In order to complete even the simplest of forms, they may have to check your entire medical record (some of which may not be accessible on a computer or on site).
Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors' regulatory body) or even the Police.
Why does my doctor seem reluctant or say no to this request?
Your doctor is inundated with work. They have to balance their time with treating the sick, keeping their practice afloat and making sure they are doing all of this safely and within their professional duties as a doctor.
With certain exceptions written within their contract, doctors do not have to carry out non-NHS work. However, many choose to for the benefit of you and other families they treat.
Where a doctor chooses to undertake the work, we will advise you of the fee in advance of undertaking work.
Should their volume of work prove to be greater or more complex than expected, the doctor will contact you to discuss how to proceed.
What can I do to help?
Not all documents need a signature by a doctor and can be done by other professionals. Please check the form and accompanying guidance as you may get a quicker response that way.
If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your doctor if he or she is prepared to complete them at the same time to speed up the process.
Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. Urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this will cost more.
Don’t book an appointment with your doctor to complete forms without checking with your doctor’s administrative staff as to whether you need to or not.
Why does my doctor charge fees?