SERVICES WE PROVIDE
Antenatal Clinic & Parentcraft Classes
The Community Midwife attends the surgery every week and holds an Antenatal Clinic at Westwood on Thursday mornings. The Health Visitors are also closely involved in looking after women during pregnancy and they run the Parentcraft Classes. Should you wish your antenatal care to be at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup or Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich your midwife would need to refer you. If you would like Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford you would need to contact them directly on 01322 428 474.
Asthma Clinic
Our Practice Nurses are trained and qualified to supervise the management of patients with asthma and they run a specific clinic for this purpose. Your doctor may well refer you to the Nurse`s Asthma Clinic for long term monitoring upon making a diagnosis of asthma and initiating treatment, or after dealing with an acute exacerbation.
It is very important that you keep your appointments in the Asthma Clinic, where the Nurses will ensure that your medication is working properly, check that you are using your inhalers correctly and measure your lung function (eg Peak Flow rate) etc.
Diabetes Clinic
Our Practice Nurses and HCA are trained and qualified to supervise the management of patients with diabetes also, and most patients with diabetes that does not require Insulin injections are now monitored in the surgery.
The follow-up diabetes assessments are very time consuming and it is important that you keep your appointments in the Diabetes Clinic, where the Nurses will check that you are keeping to an appropriate diet and taking your medication correctly, measure your blood pressure and arrange blood tests etc.
Family Planning Services
We provide all the usual family planning services including prescribing the oral contraceptive pill. We can also provide the coil (IUD/IUS) and implant placement. If you would like to discuss this, feel free to make an appointment with our practice nurse.
For legal reasons, all patients under the age of 16 should be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult, but we will not refuse to see younger female patients who need contraceptive services such as advice or a prescription for the pill. All our medical records are completely confidential and younger patients can be reassured that absolutely no-one will have access to them without their permission.
PLEASE NOTE:
For a repeat prescription for the oral contraceptive pill, you can also make an appointment with a nurse.
Joint Injections
Dr Moir and Dr Lim perform a wide range of joint injections. These include carpal tunnel, shoulder, elbow and knee injections.
For legal reasons, all patients under the age of 16 should be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
Minor Surgery
We have a monthly minor surgery clinic, performing a limited range of surgical procedures, to save referring patients to hospital.
For legal reasons, all patients under the age of 16 should be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
NHS Health Check
We are happy to offer a NHS Health Check for patients aged 40-74 without a pre-existing vascular condition (such as heart disease or history of stroke or circulation problems). This is aimed at identification and early intervention of factors that cause these medical conditions. If you are interested, please make an appointment with our healthcare assistants Fiona and Kayleigh.
We also offer an an annual Over-75 Health Check. This is an annual review, aiming to provide a comprehensive and holistic assessment for our patients over the age of 75. If you are interested, please make an appointment with our healthcare assistants, Fiona and Kayleigh.
Screening Services for Women
All women between the ages of 25 and 65 should have regular cervical smears, unless they have undergone hysterectomy and been advised that it is no longer necessary. This simple, quick test can identify various abnormalities that precede the development of cancer of the cervix by many years. Cervical cancer is an extremely dangerous condition.
We also provide chlamydia screening for women aged under 25.
Usually, such early abnormalities of the cervix are easily treated in a hospital clinic and the patient will then not later suffer with cancer of the cervix.
Women eligible for cervical screening should receive a reminder letter by post; if you think that you may be due a cervical smear but have not been invited then please telephone the surgery and ask to speak with the Practice Nurse.
The national breast cancer screening programme involves an X-ray of the breasts (a mammogram) every five years, and all eligible women eligible should receive a reminder letter by post. The invitations are not sent from the surgery but by the local Health Authority. Ideally, all women should examine their breasts carefully for lumps once a month, and report any worrying findings to the doctor. The Practice Nurses will teach female patients how to conduct proper breast self-examination if required - please do hesitate to make an appointment.
Smoking
We run a smoking cessation clinic on Fridays at Westwood. Contact our reception team for details of the clinic.
Social Prescribing
Social prescribing allows GPs and nurses to refer patients with social, emotional or practical needs to a range of local services which are often provided by the voluntary and community sector.
The nine GP practices in the Clocktower locality within Bexley will take part in a social prescribing pilot from April 2015 to help patients access more voluntary services. Mind in Bexley, in partnership with Bexley Voluntary Service Council (BVSC), are piloting the scheme.
Who is eligible to access the social prescribing programme?
Any person over 18 who has one or more long-term condition OR a carer of a patient who meets this criteria
people must also identify with one or more of the following indicators:
- Socially isolated, meaning they have contact with friends, family or neighbours less than once a week
- Frequent users of primary care services or accident and emergency
- Struggling to manage significant life change
- Struggling to manage their health conditions
Eligible people who are referred by their GP or nurse will be assessed by a social prescribing coordinator, who will then refer the patient to voluntary organisations which have programmes that can help with their particular needs.
FIRE ARMS FORMS - The surgery has a conscientious objection to the holding of firearms.We will not be able to participate in the completion of firearm forms.