In addition to general medical consultations we are pleased to be able to provide a number of specialist clinics and services. Some of these are provided by the nursing staff and include the following:
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive airways disease
- Coronary heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cervical screening
- Contraceptive services
- Child health surveillance
- Chidhood immunisations
- Vascular health checks
- Maternity services
- Blood pressure checks
- Diet and weight management
- Ear syringing
- Foot checks
- Minor surgery
- Dressings and stitch removal
- Travel advice and vaccinations - including yellow fever.
- Vaccinations and immunisations - including flu and pneumonia
Please ask at reception for details about times and days of any of our clinics.
Antenatal care is provided by midwives and also by our lady doctor, Dr. Shah.
If you think you might be pregnant please attend the surgery with confirmation of your result. You need to fill out necessary paperwork so that you can be referred to the midwives. Routine antenatal care will be provided by the surgery and midwives.
What is this service:
Most cuts and grazes can be treated at home and will start to heal in a few days. But some wounds
may need to be treated by a medical professional if there's a risk of infection, if the injury is
serious, or if you have recently had an operation.
Simple wound care services are available to all patients over the age of 16 who are registered with
a GP practice in Barking & Dagenham, Havering or Redbridge. The services support patients with
managing wounds such as skin ulcers, first degree burns, post-surgical sutures, clips removal and
routine dressings.
How does it work?
You will be advised to book an appointment by your doctor or a nurse if you have a wound that needs
to be cared for with a dressing.
You can book an appointment seven days a week at a time convenient to you.
Appointments are available Monday to Friday from 8am-6.30pm and on Saturday and Sunday between
9am-5pm.
How can I make an appointment?
You will be able to book and cancel online, via the following links:
Barking and Dagenham: https://app.10to8.com/book/swcbarkingdagenham/
Havering: https://app.10to8.com/book/swchavering/
Redbridge: https://app.10to8.com/book/redbridgeswc/
A phone booking system will be available shortly.
Where will I need to go for my appointment?
You can book an appointment at a site close to you, meaning you no longer need to visit A&E or an
Urgent Treatment Centre to have your wound dressed. You will need to book into a site connected to
your GP Practice and the booking system will guide you through this.
The full list of sites is available on the other side of this leaflet.
What do I need for my appointment?
Remember to bring with you the discharge letter from your operation / procedure / appointment, as
it will contain important information about your wound the service will need
to know at your first appointment.
Holiday vaccination
It is ideal to have immunizations when you travel. It is important to have travel insurance-, all European destinations are covered- An EHIC card would have to be obtained. Please allow plenty of time to complete the course. We recommend that you start to plan your course of immunization at least 12 weeks in advance of travel where possible.
Influenza
We offer flu vaccinations every October. We particularly recommend vaccinations for those at risk including patients with lung disease, asthma or bronchitis, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, all patients aged 65 years or over and those with lowered resistance to infection. It is also recommended for residents of nursing homes, elderly people's homes or other long-stay facilities. Please enquire at reception early. The vaccinations are dependant on the supply please be patient
If you are too ill to come and wish for the doctor to visit, please phone before 11am. The receptionists are your first point of contact with the medical centre, whether in person or by phone. Please give the receptionist in confidence as much information as possible about the problem. This enables the doctors to assess the urgency of appointments and home visits.
If you are not sure whether an appointment or home visit is really necessary, please ask to speak to your doctor.
Please note that home visits are strictly based on temporary or permanent disability of a patient to come to the practice which is directly linked to a clinical condition. We have right to refuse to entertain any home visit request that are not based on the above crite
Some services provided fall outside the scope of the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:
- Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
- Insurance claim forms
- Passport signing
- Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
- Private sick notes
- Vaccination certificates
Our reception staff will be happy to advise you about appointment availability and applicable charges.
How do I get repeat prescriptions:
You have to put a written request in the black box in reception. These take 48 hrs to process so please put requests in advance. They are usually done by our prescription team who are not medically trained. If you request something new or something that you have not had, they will advise you to see the doctor. We do not take telephone requests.
Electronic Prescribing
We have an electronic prescribing service. This means that repeat prescriptions can be sent from the surgery to the nominated pharmacy directly if the patient wishes.
Why do I have to see the doctor for something/ drug I had before?
This is because we like to check/ assess the condition it is being used for. Sometimes when the doctors assess the problem they may prescribe something else. Sometimes the drug may not have been available. If you are on 4 or more medications please book an appointment with the doctor for an annual review of your medications.
Can my pharmacist prescribe me something?
Our local pharmacists do a scheme called the minor ailments scheme. They can issues certain medications to treat certain illnesses. Pharmacists can give advice to patients as well as undertaking medications reviews. They also provide other services such as warfarin checks and other health checks. Please contact your local pharmacy for their full range of services.
Can I get my medications delivered?
Yes you can, depending on your local pharmacy. This is organised on discussion with your local pharmacists and the doctors. We generally advise this service for the housebound/disabled.
What about holiday prescriptions?
Patient cannot order more than 2 months at a time. This is according to localpolicy.
Why do my doctors change my medications from time to time?
Sometimes new evidence and research is published advising us to change/ stop medications. These protocols are set by the local authority / department of health.
Sometimes we are advised nationally to change drugs to a lower cost alternative/ safer medication. This is to improve spending in the NHS as a whole while improving patient care.
Should you disagree/ change your mind with any changes please contact your doctor or practice manager, who can discuss this further.
Remember all changes are issued according to strict protocols by the local authority.
How do I get exempt from prescription charges?
Certain chronic conditions, pregnancy and also those on certain benefits are entitled to free prescription charges. Doctors will give advice on this matter for you.
How can I lower my charges for prescriptions?
If you get many medications regularly and not exempt from these charges, consider a Prepayment card. Please contact your local chemist for details.
Blood / Xray Results
You are welcome to call after 10:00 to enquire about your test results as our staff will have more time to help you at this time.
You will be told how long you should expect to wait for the results at the time of your test so please bear this in mind before calling. It is then your responsibility to check them and make any necessary follow-up appointment with the doctor.
We do have a text message alert service available to inform patients of results.
Please note that we do have a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection. In this respect we will only give out results to the person they relate to unless that person has given prior permission for their release or if they are not capable of understanding them.