NHS Health Checks
Everyone is at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes or kidney disease, but these diseases can often be prevented. NHS Health Checks will assess a persons risk and give personalised advice on how to reduce this. The new NHS Health Check is for adults in England between the ages of 40 and 74. Please contact our reception team to make an appointment with a member of our nursing team.
Diabetes
Our Nursing Team manages our diabetic patients. You will be asked to attend on an annual basis for your review to be done. This includes a blood test and a foot check, once the blood results are back you will be invited to see the Team again for a review and a management plan.
Long Term Conditions
Our Nursing Team manages our Long Term Conditions (LTC). You will be asked to attend on an annual basis for your review to be done.
Cervical Smears
NHS Screening Programme sends out reminders to all women between the age of 25 and 64 when they are due a smear. If you think you may have missed your smear or unsure when you are due one, speak to the reception team who can advise you.
When you have your reminder, speak to the receptionists who will be able to arrange your smear with the nurses in one of our weekly smear clinics.
How often should you have a smear?
Women are offered screening at different intervals, depending on their age:
- Women should receive their first invitation for screening at 25
- Women aged 25-49 are invited for screening every three years
- Women aged 50-64 are invited for screening every five years.
- Women aged 65 or over are only screened if they have not been screened since they were 50 or have had recent abnormal test results
Interpreting service
This service is available on request providing several days notice is given to our Reception team.
Immunisations
The current immunisation schedule in the UK is:
2 months:
- Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children) given as a 5-in-1 single jab known as DTaP/IPV/Hib
- Pneumococcal infection
- Rotavirus (oral vaccine)
- Meningitis Group B (MenB)
3 months:
- 5-in-1, second dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib)
- Meningitis Group C (MenC)
- Rotavirus (oral vaccine)
4 months:
- 5-in-1, third dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib)
- Pneumococcal infection, second dose
- Meningitis Group B
Between 12 and 13 months:
- Meningitis C, second dose
- Hib, fourth dose (Hib/MenC given as a single jab)
- MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), given as a single jab
- Pneumococcal infection, third dose
- Meningitis Group B
3 years and 4 months, or soon after:
- MMR second jab
- Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (DtaP/IPV), given as a 4-in-1 pre-school booster
Around 12-13 years:
- Cervical cancer (HPV) vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer (girls only): three jabs given within six months
Around 13-18 years:
- Diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster (Td/IPV), given as a single jab
- Meningitis C (third dose)
Ante-natal clinic
The practice runs a weekly ante-natal clinic on a Wednesday morning. Our Midwife is called Caroline Huxley. The clinic is for pre-booked appointments only.
Contraceptive advice
For first time advice for contraceptive needs please arrange to see one of the doctors during surgery times.
Follow-up contraceptive advice and treatment is carried out by our practice nursing staff. Bridge Medical undertakes implant insertions and removals. Please contact our Reception team if you require any further information.
Alternatively, you may wish to contact the One to One Centre where you can self-refer for contraceptive and sexual health advice. One to One Centre
Termination
There is now a dedicated appointment line where your call will be answered confidentially by an experienced member of staff. They will book you an outpatient appointment where you can be seen within 48 hours. Tel No: 0191 203 12 42, the line is open Mon-Fri 8am – 6pm.
Minor Surgery and Injections
A variety of skin ‘lumps and bumps’ can be removed here at Bridge Medical, without the need for a hospital referral. These include:
- troublesome skin tags
- warty lumps
- certain moles and cysts
Dr Hartley perform in-house minor surgery (under local anaesthetic) in dedicated 30 minute appointments, alongside a member of the nursing team.
If you wish to discuss having a minor surgical procedure, please make a routine appointment with any doctor at the surgery. They will assess you, and if your problem can be resolved with a minor operation here at Bridge Medical an appointment for this will be made for you.
Sometimes we may recommend a referral to a specialist rather than doing minor surgery here at the practice, if it is in your best interests.
Travel Advice
Unfortunately we are unable to offer Travel Advice Appointments currently. Offering Travel Advice is a specialised area of medicine and at the moment none of our clinicians have up to date expertise in this area. Monkseaton Bridge Medical would not wish to give incorrect advice resulting in our patients coming to harm.
We understand that this may result in inconvenience for some patients and we are sorry about this.
Patients are therefore advised to seek travel advice privately and this is available at some local pharmacies and travel advice centres.
Should the private travel clinic recommend that you need any of the following vaccines for travel, we can provide these vaccinations to you free of charge as part of our NHS service: Hepatitis A Vaccine, Typhoid Vaccine, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio vaccine, Cholera Vaccine Oral Suspension and Granules.
In order for us to arrange this, you would need to bring the written copy of the travel advice recommendations from the clinic when you attend the surgery.
You can also check out the following websites for up to date information:
Patient Transport
Patients will no longer arrange transport through their GP surgery. Please contact ESR Medical to book your transport on 0191 6500560.