Mental Health issues affect up to 1 in 4 adults in the UK, and are among the most frequently managed clinical conditions in General Practice.
All of our GPs manage mental health conditions, as does our in-house Mental Health Nurse.
Mental Health Passport
Our Clinic has recently begun a quality improvement project to introduce a Mental Health ‘passport’. This is a document that allows patients to take control of their long term mental health, through identifying their triggers and relievers and collating various self-help resources that may be useful, as well as the below listed Emergency contacts.
We aim to develop this passport even further over the next few weeks, and would value your feedback on it along the way. Watch this space for further developments!
NHS 24 Free phone 111 24 hour helpline for medical problems. www.nhsinform.co.uk
MHAS Mental Health Assessment Service (REH 24hrs) 0131 537 6000 Ask for Emergency Team
Non-NHS Services
Additional Services
Although this is an NHS pracice, some of the services that we provide are not classed as NHS sercices and so a fee is payable by the patient.
Private Prescriptions, some medical certificates (including letters for school, university or college), signing of passports or the signing of provisional driving licences are examples of these private non – NHS services.
If you are not sure whether or not you will have to pay for the service you require, please discuss your request with one of our receptionists. They will do their best to advise you.
Contraception
Contraception is free for most people in the UK. With 15 methods to choose from, you’ll find one that suits you.
Contraceptive methods allow you to choose when and if you want to have a baby, but they don’t protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Condoms help to protect against STIs and pregnancy, so whatever other methods of contraception you’re using to prevent pregnancy, use condoms as well to protect your and your partner’s health.
The methods of contraception
There are lots of methods to choose from, so don’t be put off if the first thing you use isn’t quite right for you; you can try another. You can read about each of the different methods of contraception by visiting these pages:
Both men and women need to look after their sexual health and take time to understand the issues that surround contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). For instance there are some STIs, like chlamydia, that you could be carrying without having any symptoms. This infection can affect fertility, so it’s important to make use of the sexual health services available for free on the NHS.
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, most commonly spread through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex.
75% of people infected with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms. However, testing and treatment are simple.
Useful Links Quit your way – Local NHS stop smoking service information.
SmokeFree – NHS Free Smoking Helpline 0800 022 4 332. 7 days a week, 7 am to 11 pm. Here to help you! The NHS have produced “Smokefree”, dedicated service to inform everyone of the dangers of smoking, the benefits to giving up and how they can help you kick the habit.
QUIT – QUIT is the independent charity whose aim is to save lives by helping smokers to stop. Smokers wanting to QUIT should call 0800 00 22 00 or email [email protected] for free, individual, same-day advice from our trained counsellors.
NHS Stop Smoking Tracker – This desktop application will help you to stop smoking successfully by providing a 30-day course of daily messages, information and tips straight to your computer.
You don’t have to spend lots of money to eat well. Watch this video to see dietitian Azmina Govindji explain how you can eat healthily for less.
Useful Links NHS – Good Food Guide – Information on a healthy diet and ways to make it work for you.
BBC Healthy Living – Nutrition – A good diet is central to overall good health, but which are the best foods to include in your meals, and which ones are best avoided? This section looks at the facts, to help you make realistic, informed choices.
Change for Life
These days, ‘modern life’ can mean that we’re a lot less active. With so many opportunities to watch TV or play computer games, and with so much convenience and fast food available, we don’t move about as much or eat as well as we used to. Which means that 9 out of 10 kids today could grow up with dangerous amounts of fat in their bodies. This can cause life-threatening diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease – so it’s really important that we do something about it.
If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required. There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below:
It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible – at least 6 weeks before you travel – as a second appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations. These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.
Most travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because travel vaccination is not included in the services provided by the NHS and therefore is a chargeable service.
Maternity Services
All of the GP partners provide maternity services to their patients as does our community midwife.
On discovering that you are pregnant you should phone the midwife central booking line on 0131 536 2009.
Female Health
Cervical Screen Test
Cervical screening is a method of preventing cervical cancer by detecting abnormal cells in the cervix (lower part of the womb). Cervical screening is not a test for cancer, but it is a test to check the health of the cervix. Most women’s test results show that everything is normal. But for one in 20 women, the test will show some changes in the cells of the cervix. Most of these changes will not lead to cervical cancer and the cells will go back to normal on their own. In some cases, the abnormal cells need to be treated to prevent them becoming a problem later.
Since September 2008 there has been a national programme to vaccinate girls aged 12-13 against human papillomavirus (HPV). There is also a three-year catch up campaign that will offer the HPV vaccine (also known as the cervical cancer jab) to 13-18-year-old girls. The programme is delivered largely through secondary schools and consists of three injections that are given over a six-month period. In the UK, more than 1.4 million doses have been given since the vaccination programme started.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a family of viruses that affect the skin and the moist membranes that line your body, such as those in your cervix, anus, mouth and throat. These membranes are called the mucosa. There are more than 100 different types of HPV viruses, with about 40 types affecting the genital area. These are classed as high risk and low risk.
What HPV Infection Can do
Infection with some types of HPV can cause abnormal tissue growth and other changes to cells, which can lead to cervical cancer. Infection with other forms of HPV can also cause genital warts. Other types of HPV infection can cause minor problems, such as common skin warts and verrucas. Around 30 types of HPV are transmitted through sexual contact, including those that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Genital warts are the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK. HPV infection is also linked to vaginal cancer and vulval cancer, although both are rare conditions.
If a vaccine is given when a baby still has antibodies to the disease, the antibodies can stop the vaccine working. This is why routine childhood immunisations do not start until a baby is two months old, before the antibodies a baby gets from its mother have stopped working. This is also why it is important for parents to stick to the immunisation schedule, as a delay can leave a baby unprotected. A delay can increase the chance of adverse reactions to some vaccines, such as pertussis (whooping cough).
Vaccination Schedule
At two Months Old:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection.
Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection
At Three Months Old:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection.
Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection.
At Four Months Old:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection.
Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection.
Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection.
At Around 12 Months Old:
Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) and meningitis C (Hib/MenC) – booster dose in one injection.
At Around 13 Months Old:
Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection.
Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection.
Three Years Four Months to Five Years Old (Pre-School):
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV) – one injection.
Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection.
13 to 18 Years Old:
Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (Td/IPV) – one injection.
Further Reading
There are some excellent websites that will answer all your questions and queries about immunisation and vaccination. If you are worried about giving the MMR vaccine, you should access the MMR site.
www.immunisation.nhs.uk – The most comprehensive, up-to-date and accurate source of information on vaccines, disease and immunisation in the UK.
www.immunisation.nhs.uk/Vaccines/MMR – This website has been put together to answer any questions you might have about MMR. You can look for information and resources in the MMR library, ask an expert panel a question, and read up on the latest news stories relating to MMR.