Services

Click on the links:

Chaplaincy
Family planning
Immunisations
Maternity care
Medicals
Minor surgery
Parenting courses
Smoking cessation
Travel vaccinations
Weight management
Well Woman checks

Chaplaincy

The chaplain is available to talk you through the spiritual aspects of life and health. She is also able to be alongside you when you suffer loss, face serious illness or just need someone to listen. You can contact Chaplain Margaret Brown on 08444 771 794.

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.

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 severe 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.

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.

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. Ask at Reception for a leaflet.

Smoking cessation

At the surgery we now have our own Stop Smoking advisors who are trained and employed simply to help people find out if they are ready to quit and to help them reach their goal. There are a number of different options for seeing an advisor:

• At Brookside Group Practice: you can attend a one to one clinic with a Smoking Cessation Advisor for 20 minutes a week over 6 weeks. Appointments are available both during the day and evenings.
• At Wokingham Hospital: there are both a one to one clinics and there are group courses.  This can give you quite a lot of flexibility for times.
• For people who cannot commit themselves to a weekly appointment, it is now possible to have an initial 20 minute appointment followed by telephone support for the next 6 weeks.
  

Incidentally the service can offer you nicotine replacement therapy at prescription prices.
Contact us on 08444 773 005 to book an appointment.

Travel vaccinations

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.

Weight management

Ask at Reception for a leaflet.

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.