Do you look after someone who is ill, frail, disabled or mentally ill? If so, you are a Carer.
We are interested in identifying Carers, especially those people who may be caring without help or support. We know that Carers are often “hidden”, looking after a family member or helping a friend or neighbour with day-to-day tasks and may not see themselves as a Carer.
We feel that caring for someone is an important and valuable role in the community, which is often a 24-hour job that can be very demanding and isolating. We believe Carers should receive appropriate support by way of access to accurate information on a range of topics, such as entitlement to benefits and respite care, as well as a listening ear when things get too much.
Carers are entitled to have their needs assessed by Adult Care Services. A Carers Assessment is a chance to talk about their needs as a Carer and the possible ways help could be given. It also looks at the needs of the person they care for. This could be done separately, or together, depending on the situation. There is no charge for an assessment.
If you are a Carer, this is an opportunity to let the practice know so that we can update our records and pass on your details to the Carers Service, who can provide relevant information and advice, local support services, newsletter and access to a telephone linkline. We can also refer you to Adult Care Services for a free Carer’s assessment.
If you think this could apply to you, please contact the surgery or complete the form below.
The Health Visitors provide child development checks, as well as advice on diet and feeding, sleep problems, behaviour problems, play & early learning, safety in the home, toilet training, bed-wetting and child protection. See also www.kidsbehaviour.co.uk.
If you have any concerns regarding a child under school age, you may contact the Health Visitors on 0121 465 1863.
The health visitor is also able to provide advice on improving diet, feeding difficulties, infantile colic, sleep problems, behaviour problems (see also www.kidsbehaviour.co.uk play & early learning, safety in the home, toilet training, bed-wetting and child protection.
Enquiries & Reception telephone No. 0121 465 1850
Our reception staff are trained to operate as Care Navigators. When they ask you the reason for your appointment, it is to ensure that they direct you to the person or service that is the most appropriate for you.
Our reception staff may ask you additional questions based on your symptoms – these are questions that have been specified by a GP in order that we may treat your symptoms in an effective and efficient manner.
Our GPs have prepared a list of conditions that do not usually require a GP appointment, and as such may be dealt with by our reception staff.
We also operate a daily Triage clinic. If you are placed on the Triage clinic, then a clinician will look at your symptoms and determine the appropriate manner in which to deal with them. You may receive a telephone call if the clinician decides he needs more information from you; you may receive a telephone call from our reception staff to relay advice from the GP or to book you an appointment at the surgery; or you may receive a text message from your GP with further advice.
Your co-operation ensures that GP appointments are available to those who need them.
In order to assist us to make a full assessment of the potential risks to your health from your planned travel, we would ask that you make a Travel Clinic appointment with our Practice Nurse. Ideally, this appointment should be made around the time of booking your holiday, at least 6 weeks before you travel.
At your appointment we may ask the following questions to help us plan for your trip:-
- When are you departing and for how long?
- Where are you going, including the destinations within a country?
- Where are you staying, e.g. backpacking, camping, hotels?
- Are you planning to undertake any high risk activities?
- Have you taken out travel insurance and have you informed the company of any existing medical condition?
- If female and of child bearing age, is there any possibility you could be pregnant, or are you planning a pregnancy?
- Do you have any medical conditions, or a history of significant medical illness? (these can influence the choice of malaria tablets we recommend)
Useful External Websites
It would help us greatly if you had some awareness of the travel problems that you may be at risk from on your trip before you come for your appointment.
Please look at the following website, to read the information for the county you are visiting http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/
Other useful websites to look at are:-
Fees (current rates available from reception) are payable for the following services:
- Private sick notes
- Medical Insurance claim forms
- Driving licence applications
- BHSF forms
- HGV & PSV medicals
- Letters concerning non-NHS matters (excluding private referrals).
It is Practice policy not to sign Passport Forms and Gun Licence applications.
Please note that the Practice does not provide letters to patients in support of housing requests; the housing authority must request these directly from the GP. If your council asks you to provide a letter from your doctor in support of an application, please show them this letter:
Housing Application letter
All forms of contraception are available, except caps and diaphragms. Emergency contraception should be requested as soon as possible after the risk of pregnancy has been identified, but may be effective up to 5 days after risk-taking behaviour has occurred.
As there is a small risk of pregnancy even when oral emergency contraception has been appropriately taken, it is important not to rely on this method and take repeated risks.
Whenever consulting for contraception, it is an opportunity to review your sexual health and to consider requesting a screen for sexually transmitted infection (that can be done using self-taken swabs or by providing a urine sample). Most people infected with HIV are heterosexual and the frequency of infection in Birmingham is now above 1 in 2000, which not only requires NHS services to offer HIV tests to anyone who has an ‘indicator condition’, such as community acquired pneumonia, but also to offer universal screening of adults.
Please do not be offended if the doctor or nurse offers you an HIV test – it is simply good practice. Nationally, it is recognised that a significant proportion of people with HIV are undiagnosed and that their prognosis is much improved by early diagnosis. Anyone who is concerned can, in complete confidence, request an HIV test.
The practice operates an appointment call and recall system for many LTCs. Care is provided by the practice nurse team in association with the doctors. The aim is to optimise your ability to self-care and to provide the best treatment individualised to your needs.
Ideally, you should start folic acid (available from pharmacies) and ensure that you are up-to-date with your Rubella vaccination prior to becoming pregnant. If you have diabetes, good blood glucose control for 3 months before trying to conceive improves the chances of conception and reduces the risk of miscarriage. When pregnancy is discovered, please call the practice at the earliest opportunity. The receptionist will provide you with the telephone number to contact the midwife directly. The antenatal clinic is held every Thursday afternoon. Free vitamin supplements are available from pharmacies for all pregnant women.
Book an appointment with a nurse for:
Long-term condition management (Asthma, COPD, Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure)
Leg ulcer treatment
Child and adult immunisations
Cervical screening
Travel advice
Pill checks & contraceptive injections
Injected medicines e.g. Zoladex or Prostap
Pre-conceptual advice
Continence advice
Sexual health
Anticoagulation
Book an appointment with our HCA for:
Wound care, such as dressings and removal of sutures or clips
Long-term condition management initial review ( Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure)
NHS Health Checks (if eligible)
Lifestyle risk factor advice, including weight management
Blood tests (HCA)