SERVICES
AVAILABLE
Well Woman Checks
All women aged 25-65 who have ever
been sexually active need a regular cervical smear test to detect any early changes
which might lead to cancer later on. We invite 25-49 year olds once every three
years and 50-65 year olds once every five years for a cervical smear, blood pressure
check, urine test and teaching on breast self-awareness.
Maternity Care
A healthy pregnancy starts before
you become pregnant. If you are on regular medication for conditions such as
diabetes or epilepsy or wish to take dietary advice, please consult your doctor.
If you think you are pregnant, please see your doctor as soon as possible so
that your antenatal care can begin. Your care will be shared between your doctor,
the community midwife and the Royal Berkshire Hospital. A separate leaflet is
available with further details of the maternity service, which contains details
on how to contact your midwife.
Immunisations
All children need
to have completed a course of immunisation by the age of five.
Adults should also
keep their vaccinations up to date. Please discuss your requirements with a practice
nurse.
If you are planning to travel
abroad, you should check with us three months before your journey so
that we can make sure that you receive any necessary advice and immunisations
in good time.
A fee may be charged for some vaccinations
and the receptionist will be able to advise you on this.
All immunisations are done by the
practice nurse.
Flu Vaccinations
You are strongly advised to have a flu vaccination once a year if you:-
• have asthma, heart, kidney
or liver disease, COPD or diabetes
• have had a stroke or a splenectomy
• are over 65 years old
We run flu clinics in the autumn
- please contact us in September each year to book your appointment.
Pneumovax Vaccinations
Everyone over 65 years old needs to have a once-only pneumovax vaccination. Please
book an appointment with the practice nurse. There are other risk groups who
need more frequent vaccination. You will be advised on this by your GP.
Family Planning
We offer a comprehensive family
planning service for pills, injections and implants, coils, caps and other barrier
methods, as well as for emergency contraception. If you require advice, please
make an appointment with our specialist family planning nurse.
Medicals
Medical examinations for insurance
policies, HGV or PSV drivers, elderly drivers, sub-aqua purposes etc, can be
arranged by appointment. Your doctor will usually be able to complete insurance
claim forms, but please allow a minimum of seven working days' notice. A charge
for these - and for issuing private certificates - will be made in line with
the recommended BMA scale.
Minor Surgery
We provide a limited number of appointments for minor surgery; access is only
by referral through your GP.
Parenting Courses
We aim to offer regular courses to help those with children aged 1-6 years. These
courses provide an opportunity to learn new skills and form new friendships.
Leaflets are available from the surgery.
Bereavement Care
Bereavement is often a time of great pain. We offer follow-up care through the
chaplain to all who have been bereaved.
What We Think
We are always holding a conversation with ourselves inside our heads. What
we think affects who we are and the choices that we make. It is important to
guard our thoughts and guide them towards what is both good and true about others
and ourselves.
Accepting Ourselves
Most of us have suffered things in the past which have caused us grief or
hurt or which have made us angry. An important key to healthy living is to be
able to resolve the pain of the past by accepting ourselves for who we are and
by forgiving others.
Maintaining Healthy Relationships
We all live with relationships, whether with partner, family, friends, neighbours
or work colleagues. These give us joy, but can also cause us pain. The general
rules for making these healthy are to learn to listen and to learn to communicate
with openness and honesty, all the time seeking what is right and just. It is
also important to get involved in caring for others.
The chaplaincy runs regular relationship courses - please contact the chaplain
for details of forthcoming courses.
Recognising Our Spirituality
Saint Augustine once said: “Our hearts are restless until they find
their rest in God.” We have found that peace and wholeness come when our
relationship with God our Creator is restored through Jesus.
If you would like to explore this further, we have a chaplain who would be very
happy to talk with you.
