Services Available
Services available at the Surgery
Antenatal and Postnatal Clinics
| Day and Time | Wednesday 1:30 pm - 3:00pm |
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The antenatal clinic is run by the midwives but one of our doctors is also available for postnatal checks/problems.
Antenatal Booking Clinic
| Day and Time | Monday 1:15 pm - 2:45 pm |
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The booking clinic is run by the midwives.
Child Health and Immunisation Clinic
| Day and Time | Tuesday 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm |
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The child health clinic is run by one of our doctors and the immunisation clinic is run by our practice nurses.
Cervical Cytology
| Day and Time | Wednesday 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm |
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The cervical cytology clinic is run by our practice nurses.
Family Planning Clinic
| Day and Time | Tuesday 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm |
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The family planning clinic is run by our practice nurses but a doctor is available if required.
Baby immunisations, cervical smears and family planning appointments can be arranged at other times with the practice nurses.
Personal Examinations
If your medical condition is of an intimate nature and you would especially prefer a male or female doctor, the staff will always try to accommodate your request.
Your doctor will offer you a chaperone if appropriate.
Practice Nurse Team
Our practice nurse team includes 5 nurses, 1 Assistant Practitioner and 1 Health Care Assistant. Our practice nurses are highly skilled health care professionals who are able to deal with a wide range of conditions. They are experts in many areas of disease management such as diabetes and asthma.
If you need an appointment for any of the following, please ask for an appointment with the practice nurse:
- Family Planning
- HRT
- Vaccinations
- Travel Vaccinations/advice
- Cervical smears
- Asthma review
- Diabetic review
- Ear syringing
- Thyroid monitoring
- Heart Disease monitoring
- BP Monitoring
- Well woman check
- Well man check
- Rheumatoid check
- Coil fit and check
- Cholesterol monitoring
If you need an appointment for any of the following, please ask for an appointment with the Health Care Assistant:
- New Registration Checks
- Elderly Assessment
- BP Check
- ECG
- Spirometry
- Weight Check/Dietary advice
- Blood tests
Blood Tests
If you are unable to attend the surgery for blood tests, you have the option of attending the following:
- Standish Clinic - Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8.45am - 11.45am, no appointment necessary but please take your blood test form with you.
- Thomas Linacre Centre, Wigan - Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 4.45pm, no appointment necessary but please take your blood test form with you.
For fasting blood tests, do not eat or drink anything for 12 hours prior to the tests.
Completion of Forms/Medical Reports
If you require any forms completed/signed it is not necessary for you to make an appointment with the doctor. Instead, leave the form at reception and the staff will give the form to the appropriate doctor. If necessary, the doctor can always contact you to clarify any details.
A fee is payable for completion of private insurance and medical forms and a list of our current fees is displayed in the surgery. You will normally be informed of the fee when you leave the form at reception.
Trainee General Practitioners
We are a training practice for trainee general practitioners (registrars and senior house officers) and medical students. You may be asked, at the time you book your appointment, if you are happy to see a student before seeing one of the GPs at the surgery. We emphasise that there is no obligation upon you to see medical students, and we all understand that there are certain problems that you would prefer to see your own GP about.
Video-taped Consultations
Occasionally as part of their training, trainees are required to videotape some of their consultations. You will be informed about this when you make the appointment, and asked to sign a consent form if you are happy to be video-taped. There is no obligation to consent to be video-taped. The video camera is entirely focused upon the trainee, and no intimate examination is ever filmed. The tapes are stored securely and erased once training is complete.
Requests for your health details
Travel Insurance
More and more companies are asking for health information when booking holiday cover.
If you have any doubt about the significance of a specific area of your medical history, it is important to check first with your usual doctor at an appointment, before completing the form.
Solicitor's Letters
When a solicitor acting on your behalf asks for medical evidence from your GP, it is usual professional etiquette for him/her to write to your GP, stating the information required and including your written consent for us to reply.
"To whom it may concern" letters will only be provided in exceptional circumstances after due consultation with your usual doctor.
Housing References
The borough housing department has long-since refused to consider doctors' letters in support of individual's applications. Our practice policy is not to write housing reports as a consequence.
Health Visiting Team
Contacting the Health Visitors
| Shevington Clinic | (01257) 501300 (24hr Answerphone, 7 days a week) |
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| Mrs. Alwyn Cahill | (01257) 501310 |
| Mrs. Julia Owen | (01257) 501311 |
Health Visitors can be contacted between 9:00 am - 10:00 am and 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Mondays to Fridays. A message can be left on their answerphones in-between these times.
Who are the Health Visiting Team?
The Health visiting team may consist of:
- Health Visitor
A Health Visitor is an experienced registered nurse with additional training. - Community Nursery Nurse
All Nursery Nurses have attended college or an institute of higher education and they have a qualification to recognise this. - Community Staff Nurse
They are qualified registered nurses. - Support Worker
They have received specialised training to work as part of the team.
All members of the team carry ID badges with photographs
The Health Visiting team participates in the training of other nurses so you may, from time to time, have a student visiting with a member of the team. You will be informed of this and your permission sought. A refusal will not affect the care you received from the team.
Where do the Health Visiting Team work?
All Health Visitors work in a variety of settings working alongside GPs, district nurses, speech therapists, midwives and school nurses.
Health Visitors also liaise with statutory and voluntary organisations.
Your first contact with the Health Visiting Team may be either during your pregnancy or after the birth of your baby. You can expect a visit or contact from your Health Visiting Team when your baby is:
- 10-14 days old
- 10-12 weeks old
- 6 months of age
- 18 months of age
- 3 years of age
These visits are to look at your child's developmental progress and to discuss the health and well-being of the family and to offer any support or information you may find useful.
What do the Health Visiting Team do?
The Health Visiting Team works with people of all age groups:
- Babies and children
- Young People
- Adults
- Parents
- Older people
Examples of Health Visiting Team work:
- Parenting skills: Child development, Nutrition, Play and stimulation, Behaviour programme
- Pressures of life: Post-natal depression, Depression, Stress, Bereavement, Anxiety
- Coronary Heart Disease: Exercise, Healthy Eating, Smoking Cessation
- Accidents: Road safety, Home safety, Accident prevention
- Family Planning: Contraception, Pre-conceptual care
- Infection Diseases: Immunisations, General advice
The Health Visiting Teams are employed to promote the optimum level of health and well-being for yourself, your family and your local community.

