Your Health and Screening Services
Old Hall Surgery offers a range of medical screening services, these are available at the Practice or at other local health centres or surgeries.
In order to even the workload out in the Practice and to make it easier for patients to remember when their annual review is due, we are asking patients to book their reviews in the month of their birthday. This applies to patients with the following long term conditions:
- Asthma
- Chronic airways disease (COPD)
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
We would like to thank patients for following the guidance of booking their annual health review during their birth month.
Breast screening is a method of detecting breast cancer at a very early stage.
The first step involves an x-ray of each breast – a mammogram, which is taken while carefully compressing the breast. Most women find it a bit uncomfortable and a few find it a little painful.
The mammogram can detect small changes in breast tissue which may indicate cancers which are too small to be felt either by the woman herself or by a doctor.
Bowel cancer screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage (in people with no symptoms), when treatment is more likely to be effective.
Bowel cancer screening can also detect polyps. These are not cancers, but may develop into cancers over time. They can easily be removed, reducing the risk of bowel cancer developing.
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 69. This age range is currently being extended to 60 to 74. People in the invitation age range are automatically sent an invitation, then their screening kit, so they can do the test at home. Your GP will provide your contact details, so it is important that he or she has your correct name and address.
After your first screening test, you will be sent another invitation and screening kit every two years until you reach 69 (74 in areas where age extension has already started). If you are over the invitation age range, you can ask for a screening kit every two years by calling the Free phone number at 0800 707 60 60.
Read the Bowel Cancer leaflet or click for more information.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy (literally “heart muscle disease”) is the measurable deterioration for any reason of the ability of the myocardium (the heart muscle).
Find out more about the heart condition cardiomyopathy by contacting the Cardiomyopathy Association on Freephone 0800 0181 024 or visit www.cardiomyopathy.org
A cervical screening test (smear test) 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.
Around 900 women die of cervical cancer in England each year. However, many of those who develop it have not been screened regularly. Not going for cervical screening is one of the biggest risk factors for developing cervical cancer.
A new service has been launched to increase access to testing for chlamydia, for young people aged 15-24. You can now order a home test kit via text. Simply text CKIT and your name, age and address to 88020 and a free and confidential test kit will be sent to you.
It is easy to collect a specimen or urine in the privacy of your own home: pipette the sample, fill in the form, post direct to the laboratory and await your results in 7-10 days, sent by a discreet text.
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis. In the UK, the number of new diagnoses has steadily increased each year since the mid-1990s, and it has now become the most commonly diagnosed STI.
Chlamydia is called the ‘silent’ disease because most people who get it do not have any noticeable symptoms. Around 50% of men and 70-80% of women who get the chlamydia infection will have no symptoms. Many cases of chlamydia remain undiagnosed.
Symptoms
Chlamydia often goes unnoticed due to the lack of noticeable symptoms. Because of this, many cases of chlamydia remain undiagnosed.
Women
In women, genital chlamydia does not always cause symptoms. Signs and symptoms can appear 1-3 weeks after coming into contact with chlamydia, many months later or not until the infection has spread to other parts of your body. Some women may notice:
- Cystitis (pain when passing urine)
- A change in their vaginal discharge
- Lower abdominal pain
- Pain and/or bleeding during sexual intercourse
- Bleeding after sex
- Bleeding between periods or heavier periods
If left untreated, the chlamydial infection can spread to the womb and cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). PID is a major cause of infertility, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
Men
Symptoms of genital chlamydia are more common in men than in women. Signs and symptoms can appear 1-3 weeks after coming in contact with chlamydia, many months later or not until the infection has spread to other parts of your body.
Some men may notice:
- A white, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis
- Pain when passing urine
- Pain in the testicles
Some men have mild symptoms that disappear after two or three days. However, after the discomfort disappears, you may still have the chlamydia infection. This means that you can pass it on to a sexual partner. You are at risk of complications such as inflamed and swollen testicles, reactive arthritis and infertility.
Men and women
Very rarely, the chlamydia infection may affect areas other than the genitals in both men and women, such as the rectum, eyes or throat.
If the infection is in the rectum it can cause some discomfort and discharge. In the eyes it can cause pain, swelling, irritation and discharge (conjunctivitis). Infection in the throat is very rare and usually causes no symptoms.
Outlook
The chlamydia infection can be easily diagnosed through a simple swab or urine test. Once diagnosed, it can be treated with antibiotics. Undiagnosed chlamydia can lead to more serious long-term health problems and infertility.
Under 25s can get a free, confidential chlamydia test under the National Chlamydia Screening Programme. People over 25 can visit their GP or a local GUM (genitourinary medicine) or sexual health clinic to arrange a test.
Outlook
The chlamydia infection can be easily diagnosed through a simple swab or urine test. Once diagnosed, it can be treated with antibiotics. Undiagnosed chlamydia can lead to more serious long-term health problems and infertility.
Under 25s can get a free, confidential chlamydia test under the National Chlamydia Screening Programme. People over 25 can visit their GP or a local GUM (genitourinary medicine) or sexual health clinic to arrange a test.
Our practice nurses work every day, Monday to Friday, and hold surgeries to promote health promotion and screening including:
- Asthma clinic – All patients should be seen at least yearly. Make an appointment with the Nurse and bring along your inhalers.
- Chlamydia Screening – Tests for both Men and Women are kept in our patient toilet; these can be used by any of our patients and can be handed in discreetly over reception.
- Coronary heart disease / MI check-ups – Please make an appointment at least once a year with Nurse.
- Diabetes Clinic – We like to see our Diabetic patients once a year to help them manage their condition. Please make an appointment with the Nurse.
- Diabetic Retinopathy – Eye checks annually with your chosen optician ask the Nurse or reception for a list of opticians providing this service.
- Epilepsy – All patients should be seen at least yearly but the Doctor may ask you to come in more often to review your medication.
- Hypertension clinic – Make an appointment with the Nurse or Health Care Assistant for regular blood pressure checks.
- Immunisations – (Baby and holiday vaccinations) see our Immunisation page.
- Minor Surgery – Joint injections can be done in the surgery by one of our Doctors. Please make an appointment if you would like to discuss getting an injection.
- Screening Health Checks & Dietary / Alcohol / Exercise advice – Make an appointment with the Health Care Assistant, bring along a urine specimen to check for diabetes
- Sexual Health – Contraception pill checks, depo injection checks.
- Health care assistant
The health care assistant supports the practice nurses and does well person checks, hypertension, ECG’s and some injections.
The menopause is sometimes known as the ‘change of life’ and is marked by the ending of menstruation (when a woman’s periods stop).
A woman’s periods do not usually stop suddenly. They generally become less frequent, the odd period is missed and then they stop altogether.
In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 52.
A woman is said to have reached the menopause once she has not had a period for one year. After this point, she can be described as post-menopausal.
If the menopause occurs in a woman who is under 45 years of age, it is known as premature menopause. It is estimated that premature menopause affects 1% of women under the age of 40 and 0.1% of women under the age of 30.
Most women reach the menopause without seeking medical advice. However, treatments are available that can ease menopausal symptoms that are severe or distressing.
We provide a range of leaflets in the surgery on health issues, you can also view the information at the web site www.medicinechest.co.uk
On the web site you can find information about:
- Healthier living
- General health
- Travel
- Stopping smoking
- … many more health issues.
CONNECT with the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.
BE ACTIVE – Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
TAKE NOTICE – Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters.
KEEP LEARNING – Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.
GIVE – Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.
Evidence shows that building these actions into your life can add 7.5 years to your life!