Services & Clinics
We offer a range of specialised clinics and services. Please ask reception for further information.
- Antenatal care
- Asthma and other chest problems
- Baby Clinic
- Hypertension
- Phlebotomy / Blood Tests
- Child Health Surveillance
- Heart Disease / Stroke
- Diabetes
- Family planning / Contraception
- Immunisations – including childhood
- Minor surgery
- Smoking Cessation
- Travel clinic
- Wart Clinic
- Medicals
- Leg Ulcer clinic
- Cervical screening
Antenatal Care
All of our doctors can provide full antenatal and postnatal care. Pregnant patients can be seen for ante-natal appointments at any convenient time in normal surgery times Monday to Friday.
We are happy to participate in Shared Care, Consultant Led Care, Midwife Led Care etc. Referrals can be made to Ipswich Hospital, West Suffolk Hospital (Bury St. Edmunds) and Colchester Hospital on request. We agree with the concept of increased patient choice in this area, and will support any chosen option.
The doctors work closely with our two community midwives, Jan Barraskill and Margaret Clarke. There is a midwife antenatal clinic at Hadleigh Health Centre on Tuesday afternoons and parentcraft classes on Thursday afternoons. Once you find out that you are pregnant, we would recommend that you make an appointment to see the doctor of your choice. At this point you normally have a brief appointment to answer any burning questions, establish dates, hand out relevant leaflets and deal with any medical problems.
You are usually seen a little later for a longer appointment when any issues that may have arisen from reading literature can be addressed in detail. Your medical history can be gone over in detail and any examination or investigations initiated. We normally ask you to make contact with one of our midwives at this stage, and at this point you will be advised about the various options for antenatal care. The options available and the type of care you need to receive obviously depend on many factors - not the least of which is your own choice. Factors such as previous pregnancies and their outcomes, concurrent medical conditions, where you live etc. are important too.
Asthma Clinic
This clinic is run by our two experienced specialist nurses at Hadleigh every Wednesday afternoon and at Boxford one Tuesday per month.
Asthma is a serious condition which can if uncontrolled be life-threatening. Patient education and training is essential if symptoms are to be adequately controlled and ill health prevented.
There is a very wide range of different medications available and in a bewildering number of inhalation devices. Different devices suit different people, and it is important that you are using the type that suits you needs / lifestyle / abilities. The nurse can advise you of the options available. She can check that your treatment is working satisfactorily and gives advice on ways to prevent asthma attacks.
Inhaler technique can also be checked, to ensure that your treatment is as efficient as possible.
Baby Clinic
Baby clinics are held at Hadleigh Monday 2.00-4.00pm and Friday 9.00 – 10.00am by our Health Visiting team. No Appointment is required.
Our Practice Nurse also has a baby immunisation clinic running at this time. Appointments are sent out for this clinic, however, if your child has missed their scheduled appointment, we may be able to offer you an appointment in this clinic, please ask at reception or telephone on: 01473 822961.
Hypertension / Blood Pressure
We suggest that everyone should have a blood pressure check every five years, which can be arranged with the health care assistant, practice nurse or your doctor. If you have high blood pressure this needs regular checks which can be done in the hypertension clinic.
Raised blood pressure (hypertension) has no symptoms, but increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney problems and dementia.
Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts on the walls of your arteries. Anyone can have hypertension, even if they look and feel healthy. The only way to know if your blood pressure is raised is by having it checked.
Hypertension can have devastating health consequences, such as stroke and heart attack, but there are steps you can take to lower it.
Who's at risk?
You're more likely to have hypertension if any of the following apply to you:
- You're overweight.
- You don't get enough exercise.
- You eat too much salt and/or saturated fat.
- You drink too much alcohol.
- You don't eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- You're of South Asian, African or Caribbean descent.
- There is heart attack, stroke or hypertension in your family.
If you have diabetes or kidney disease, it is especially important to be aware of controlling your blood pressure.
Compared to the general population, people with diabetes are up to three times more likely to have hypertension, and people with hypertension are more likely to have diabetes.
It is important for people with chronic kidney disease to keep their blood pressure at a healthy level, to control the progression of the kidney disease.
Know your blood pressure
Blood pressure is measured in two numbers, for example 120/80, described as ‘120 over 80'. The first number is the pressure when your heart beats to push blood around your body (systolic), and the second is the pressure when your heart is resting (diastolic).
If your blood pressure is 120/80 or less, this is healthy.
If your blood pressure is 140/90 or more, you have hypertension and need to reduce your blood pressure. This may involve taking medication.
If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, it is slightly raised and you need to take some steps to lower it.
Lowering your blood pressure
There are lots of things you can do in your daily life to lower blood pressure, and they are often quite simple. These include eating less salt, eating a healthy diet, eating more fruit and vegetables, and getting regular exercise. If you are overweight, losing weight will help.
Clinics
If you have high blood pressure this needs regular checks every six months which can be done by our Health Care Assistant. Please speak to Reception to arrange an appointment.
Phlebotomy / Blood Tests
The practice now has a regular phlebotomy service at both Hadleigh and Boxford. These clinics are held by a qualified phlebotomist. The practice offers a large number of such appointments. However, because of the ever increasing range and complexity of conditions that are now managed by GPs there is immense pressure on blood test appointments. If you are able to attend the hospital for tests we would be grateful as it helps ease this pressure.
Our phlebotomist works to a very tight schedule and cannot attend to other medical queries and problems. Blood tests take between a few hours and a few days (sometimes even longer) to come back. Your doctor may wish you to see him or her once the results are back, or may alternatively ask you to phone up for the results. It is important that you are able to prove your identity when phoning. To this end, your doctor will hand you a slip of paper with a code number exclusive to you. You must quote this number to the receptionist when you phone.
For tests of a very confidential nature (Hepatitis B, HIV etc.) we will not discuss results over the telephone at all. For such results you must make an appointment to see the doctor once you know that the results are back.
Child Health Surveillance
All the Doctors are qualified to provide child health surveillance. This is shared between the Doctors and our Health Visitors. The Doctors will normally check a baby shortly after birth - typically at about seven days old.
There is a 6-8 week check later carried out usually at the post-natal examination. At these checks the Doctor will examine the heart sounds, chest, hips etc. in order to detect any problems early, before they cause any trouble. It is actually rather rare to find any abnormality - most babies are perfectly healthy.
The next regular examination by the doctor is the Pre-School Examination. Often the Health Visitors will have already checked your child's height and weight just before this. The Doctor usually rechecks the heart, ears, throat, chest, abdomen etc. There is also the opportunity to discuss your child's physical, psychological, social and language development. The eyesight and hearing are not normally tested - though any of your concerns will of course be looked into thoroughly. Fine and Gross Motor skills are also asked about, but not always tested as most children pass easily.
Cardiovascular Disease / Stroke
Coronary Heart Disease Clinic
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.
Stroke
A stroke is a serious medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disturbed.
Like all organs, our brain needs the oxygen and nutrients provided by our blood to function properly. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped, brain cells begin to die. This can lead to brain damage and possibly death.
Strokes are a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is essential because the sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.
Who's at risk from stroke?
In England, strokes are a major health problem. With over 111,000 people having a stroke every year, they are the third largest cause of death. The brain damage caused by strokes means that they are the largest cause of adult disability in the UK.
People who are over 65 years of age are most at risk of having strokes, but they can affect people of any age, including children.
Those of Afro-Caribbean origin are at increased risk of having a stroke, and the number of people affected by the condition is higher among this ethnic group than any other. This is because people of Afro-Caribbean origin have a genetic predisposition (a natural tendency) to developing diabetes and heart disease, which are two conditions that can cause strokes.
Smoking, obesity, poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption are also risk factors for stroke. Also, conditions that affect the circulation of the blood, such as diabetes or hypertension (high blood pressure), increase your risk of having a stroke.
Strokes can be treated and prevented
Strokes can usually be successfully treated and they can also be prevented. Following a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking will dramatically reduce your risk of having a stroke.
Strokes can be treated using a combination of surgery and medicines. However, many people will require a long period of rehabilitation after a stroke, and not all will recover fully.
Diabetic Clinic
The Practice runs a weekly Diabetic clinic (usually for diabetics not on insulin). The clinic is run by our specialist Practice Nurse Kim Daniels and overseen by Dr Cope who has a special interest in Diabetes.
The aim of the clinic is to provide education, support and monitoring of your condition and early detection and prevention of complications. At the clinic:
- Blood test results and Diabetic control are discussed
- Blood pressure and weight are monitored
- Dietary advice/lifestyle advice given
- Urine is tested
- Feet are checked/foot care advice given.
- Circulation and neurological status is monitored
- Home monitoring is discussed
- On-going education and support provided.
You may wish to visit the British Diabetic Association website
Family Planning
All Doctors provide a complete and confidential family planning advice service. We are able to offer advice in confidence on all forms of contraception and their correct use. We also provide emergency contraceptives. Please contact reception to make an appointment with our Family Planning trained Nurses or a Doctor. Drs Cope and Croot are qualified to administer long-acting contraception implants and Intra-Uterine Systems (IUS or 'the coil').
Immunisations
For travel advice and vaccinations please click here.
We offer the full range of infant, child and adult immunisations.
Flu immunisation
The Government have recommended that from October 2000 the following groups of people should be immunised
- All patients over 65 years old
- All diabetic patients
- All patients with bad chest and heart problems
- All Health Workers
Influenza jabs are available from October every year. Look out for the special clinics which are held each year in October.
We are now able to offer private "Flu-Jabs" for those people not eligible for free ones. Please phone / drop-in for information. Our present charge is £20 all inclusive.
IMPORTANT: After recent scaremongering stories in the press over recent months there has been a fall in the number of babies and children completing their courses of vaccinations. One of the ways that the Health Centre is funded is by achieving high immunisation rate targets set by the government. Failure to meet these targets threatens the funding of the health cenre and the services we provide. We therefore ask all our parents to bring their babies and children down for immunisations at the correct times. If only two children fail to have their immunisations or have them a few months late, the Health Centre can quite literally lose THOUSANDS of pounds of funding. If you are certain that you do not wish to have your child immunised against any or all diseases, please do co-operate with us and sign a declaration to that effect. This declaration does NOT commit you bindingly or permanently, you can change your mind at any time.
Minor Surgery
All doctors are qualified to perform minor operations. We are able to deal with a wide range of problems. Individual doctors have skills in some more specialise areas. We can do biopsies on suspicious skin lesions such as moles, or where the cause of a rash is unknown. We can remove troublesome skin tags, moles, cysts, warts etc. We can aspirate swollen joints, haematomas, bursae etc. We also inject joints (e.g. the gleno-humeral joint in cases of frozen shoulder) and problem area such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, housemaid's knee etc. If you have a mole that you are worried about, or a skin tag that is causing a bother by catching on clothing, or just a skin lesion that is unsightly we may well be able to help. Just make an appointment to see your GP and discuss the matter. This whole service is under threat. The Central Suffolk PCT has threatened to withdraw funding for this service from all GP practices. Patients may have to travel elsewhere to have these procedures peformed.
Travel Immunisations
Our practice nurses offer travel advice including immunisation.
PATIENT CHECK LIST FOR TRAVEL CLINIC
1. Obtain information about your holiday destination(s). Information available from www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
2. Collect Risk Assessment form from reception or download, complete and return as soon as possible. To download this form (Microsoft Word file, please right-click (and choose 'Save As..', 'Save Target As..' or 'Save Link as..' depending on your web browser) on this link HERE
3. Make appointment for travel clinic at least 4 weeks before departure date.
4. If you have a complex itinerary please allow more than 8 weeks before departure date
HADLEIGH HEALTH CENTRE IS AN APPROVED YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CENTRE Further Information: Medical Advisory Service to Travelers Abroad (MASTA): 0891 224 100 Department of Health Enquiry Line: 0207 210 4850
Wart Clinic
This clinic is held usually on the last Thursday of every month between 3.30pm and 6.00pm. Dr Glason is in charge of this. Warts and veruccas are very common. For this reason we only treat patients who have not been able to rid themselves of their warts by ordinary means despite at least two months of trying. Warts and veruccas are virus infections in the dead outer layer of the skin. Because the circulation and therefore the immune system does not reach this area, the body does not recognise that infection is present. For this reason it is necessary to deal with warts with physical treatments such as an emery board or pumice stone, as well as chemical treatments. Pharmacists sell a range of suitable products such as Bazuka, Salatac. We recommend using these along with regular debridement with a board or stone, before requesting a wart clinic appointment. Bear in mind that as veruccas are on the feet, and treatment with liquid Nitrogen can cause blisters, that we are not particularly keen on freezing veruccas unless all else has failed. Liquid Nitrogen treatment is not normally suitable for children.
Well Person Clinic
Well Person Clinic - Anyone not seen in the last three years can request a "health check" and will have the opportunity of seeing a Nurse or Health Care Assistant from Monday to Friday. The Nurse will check on height, weight, blood pressure and do a urine test as well as asking about smoking, alcohol and, any relevant family history.