Clinics & Services

Asthma Clinic

Some 3.4 million people in the UK are currently affected by asthma - around 1 in 10 adults, and 1 in 7 children.

Asthma is a long-term, often progressive, disease that makes breathing difficult when the airway lining swells, which narrows the passageway. For people with asthma, some inflammation is always present, even when symptoms are absent. Allergens, irritants, exercise, and respiratory infections may trigger asthma. Successful asthma treatment has four key elements: measurement of lung function, avoidance of triggers, proper medication, and patient education.

The clinic aims to improve patient's quality of life through better management of their disease using the guidelines of the British Thoracic Society.

We will give you information about your disease as well as advice about how different medications are used to treat symptoms. We also teach you inhaler technique and discuss smoking cessation and other lifestyle adjustments where necessary. Our aim is to get you actively involved in the management of your disease through a greater understanding of asthma to enable you to lead a healthier life.

To make an appointment please call 01353 624121

Cervical Smears

What is a smear test?

It is the sampling of mucous from the neck of the womb - the cervix. It is not a "cancer" test. The test tries to pick up early changes in the cervix, which, if left could in later years become cancer. All our smears are sent to Addenbrookes Hospital Laboratory. The tests are carried out by our specially trained practice nurses.

When should I have one?

We operate a call and recall system and all our female patients between the age of 25 - 64 in England and 20 - 60 in Scotland will be sent regular follow-up appointments to attend for this investigation.

What do the results mean to me?

Negative

This result means that no abnormal cells have been seen. Your next smear will be in 3 years. If you have any abnormal bleeding, either mid-cycle or after intercourse, PLEASE DON'T WAIT for your next smear - report this to your Doctor immediately.

Inadequate/Unsatisfactory

This result means that either too little or too much mucous was on the slide. The Laboratory could give no result. A repeat smear is advised. We try and make sure this figure is as low as possible.

Abnormal

This result means that there are changes that could cause problems in the future. The usual recommendation from the Laboratory is that the smear should be repeated in 3 or 6 months.

If another ABNORMAL result is reported, the Laboratory recommends that a hospital appointment be made at the Colposcopy clinic. The neck of the womb is then examined with a powerful microscope and the abnormal area of the cervix is removed. This treatment is almost 100% effective.

Ladies are then advised to have more frequent smears as determined by the laboratory - usually for 3 or 5 years.

Menopause Clinic

For many women, menopause signals a new season in their lives. It begins when a woman - usually in her 50s - does not have periods for at least 12 months. Menopause does have its challenges, among them hot flushes, irritability, vaginal dryness, urinary problems and muscle and joint aches.

Other health concerns at this time include osteoporosis, as well as heart disease, due to decreasing oestrogen levels. Such challenges can be addressed through a number of medical options.

If you would like to discuss matters please make an appointment on 01353 624121 for our Menopause Clinic.

Minor Surgery

We offer a number of minor surgical techniques in the Staploe Medical Centre. This is mainly delivered by Drs Gunstone, Burnford and Howard. Our doctors have extensive experience of cautery, cryotherapy, hyfrecator or excisional techniques but more importantly can properly assess any skin lesions and apply that which would best suit your problem.  Any anaesthetic required and any post-operative care would be discussed.

Hyfrecator and Electrocautery

These techniques use small electric currents either to cut through the base of a lesion or to destroy its blood supply causing skin tags etc to wither and fall off.  The electric current not only cuts through the tissue but also seals any blood vessels allowing for a clean operation site.  These techniques are useful for skin tags and other small lesions, particularly where they are connected to the skin by small stalks or pedicles.  It may be necessary to anaesthetise the area to be treated, depending on the size of the lesion.

Excisional Techniques

We can remove other skin lesions by excision if necessary under local anaesthetic.  Any lesions removed in this way would be sent for histological analysis and the wound sutured if necessary.  Our nurses are highly skilled in wound care and can provide full post-surgical care.  Please note that procedures involving cuts in the skin such as this will always leave a scar, but by orientating the cuts properly and using the natural lines of the skin we can minimise any scarring.  We would advise on how apparent any scars would be likely to be at the time of your consultation.

Joint Injection

For certain rheumatological conditions we also offer joint/tendon injections, e.g Frozen shoulders, trochanteric bursitis, tennis elbow, trigger fingers, tenosynovitis.

More extensive procedures or those where there is a worry about malignancy will require referral to hospital.

Please discuss with your GP in the first instance if you have any anxieties.

Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease & Hypertension Clinic

This combined clinic is run by our specially trained nurses.

Diabetes is now seen as being a cardiovascular disease. While diagnosis is made from raised blood sugar readings the health consequences are all vascular related.

Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is a leading cause of death and illness that affects millions of people worldwide. There are around 270,000 heart attacks in the UK each year while around 2.1 million people have experienced angina, a chest pain that is the main symptom of coronary heart disease.

Conditions that increase your risk of developing heart disease are called risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk is of developing heart disease.

Listed below are the factors attributing to heart disease that you cannot change:

• Family history of coronary heart disease
• Diabetes (if you have diabetes you are three times more like to develop coronary heart disease)
• Sex (coronary heart disease accounts for more deaths of women than any other disease)
• Age (risk increases with age)

There are also risk factors that are lifestyle choices, which you can change:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High Cholesterol level
• Lack of exercise
• Stress
• Being overweight
• Excessive alcohol intake

You can modify these risk factors to reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your overall health by following a healthy lifestyle.

Baby and Child Health

New baby?

Congratulations!  There’s a lot to learn and to get used to when your bundle of joy comes home, but help is available.  Your midwife will be in touch soon after delivery, to see how you and baby are doing.  A week or two later the Child and Family Nurse (‘Health Visitor’) will be in touch – she is a useful source of support and advice for the first few years. 

We will send you an appointment for your baby's six week check up which is an important check of growth and development.  This check needs to be completed before your baby can have his/her first vaccinations.  Please let us know if you need to reschedule this appointment. 

It is also a good idea for mother to have a check up at about six weeks.  Please make an appointment for this at a convenient time.

Childhood Immunisations

Immunisation has been so successful in reducing many childhood infectious diseases that it is easy to forget how unpleasant, even dangerous these may be.  We offer the full schedule of childhood immunisations, and strongly recommend them all.  You will be invited to bring your baby to our baby clinic for his/her first immunisations at about 8 weeks of age (two weeks after his/her check with the doctor): try not to postpone because it is important to get baby protected as soon as possible. 

Further immunisations are scheduled 4 and 8 weeks after the first ones, and then there is a gap until 1 year of age.  After the 12-15 month immunisations come the pre-school booster at 3-4 years and the school leaving booster at 15-16.

If you think your child has missed any immunisations please contact the practice nurse: she can check the records and advise if any catch-up jabs are needed.

Older children

Older children and teenagers come with their own worries!  For help and advice, try the school nurse (through the school or through the Child and Family Nursing Team, 01353 624411). 

Links:

immunisation.nhs.uk (up to date, reliable information about the UK's immunisation programme)

teenagehealthfreak.org (excellent teenage health site)

Family Planning

We are able to provide most aspects of family planning and pre-pregnancy advice including:

• Oral Contraception (both combined & 'mini-pill')
• Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices
• Contraceptive Implants

Please call Patient Services on 01353 624121 to book an appointment.