Services

The practice offers a wide range of services which you can read about below


Asthma Clinic

Clinics are held regularly by the Practice Nurse

The Practice Nurse will review patients’ conditions to ensure best possible treatment and prevent the condition worsening.


Cervical Smears

Prevention of cervical cancer is only possible with regular checks on all susceptible women.

We follow the Northumberland Guidelines and call in women who need a smear.


Community Link Workers

Our Community Link Workers will be based across our regional Primary care network.

Wansbeck Primary Care Network have formed a partnership with Cygnus Support to provide a Social Prescribing service for our patients. This is delivered by our Team of 4 Community Link Workers who work across the PCN. They offer advice, signposting and additional support to our patients who have non-medical issues that may be impacting upon their wellbeing. These issues could include money worries, family troubles, employment issues, carer stress, problems managing a long-term illness or disability, bereavement, and loneliness. Or the patient may just wish to engage in a new hobby, be more active or take up volunteering. Patients can self refer by completing the self referral form or by asking their health professional to refer on their behalf.

Please complete our self referral form


Diabetic Clinic

Diabetics who are not seen regularly at hospital clinics will be cared for by our practice based team.

Patients will be sent regularly for the checks they need and at least once a year for a full check-up.

Diabetic Eye Screening Programme

From 1st April 2018, for newly diagnosed diabetic patients, we will be providing information electronically to the local NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme.  

As your GP, we have a duty to ensure you receive an invitation for eye screening as part of your diabetes care based on clinical need, in an accurate and timely fashion.

If you have any questions relating to the use of your information, or you do not want us to provide your information to the local Eye Screening Programme please speak to:


District Nurse

Please contact the District Nurses Clinic for the following on 01670 859049.

  • Removal of stitches
  • Dressing changes
  • Leg ulcer assessment
  • Injections
  • Provision of aids (other than wheelchairs)
  • Continence problems
  • Prostap/Zolodex injections if housebound
  • Maintenance dose B12 injections

For a home visit in the case of housebound patients 01670 520047


Ear Syringing Appointments

If you have booked an appointment for ear syringing with the district nurse, you must read the information before your appointment.

You have booked in for an ear assessment. The nurse will only perform irrigation on your ears when other methods have failed as there are risks associated with this procedure.

The risks are:

  • Middle ear infection
  • Ear drum perforation leading to temporary or permanent loss of hearing

The nurse will not perform irrigation if you:

  • Have a past history of ear drum perforations.
  • A recent history of middle ear infection (in past six weeks);
  • You have previously suffered untoward experiences following this procedure;
  • Have had previous ear surgery; e.g. mastoidectomy
  • Have a cleft palate, even if this is repaired;
  • Have grommets in place or history of recurrent grommet insertions (apart from grommets that have been removed in the past 18 months and you have been discharged from ENT department
  • Only have hearing in only one ear;
  • You have recurring ear infections.
  • Have inflammation in the ear or experience pain or tenderness of the pinna when the nurse examines you.
  • Are flying within the following week.

Prior to having your ears irrigated you will be required to put in olive oil at least twice a day for a minimum of seven days (drops for 10-14 days would be preferable). This will soften the wax in preparation for syringing.

When using olive oil drops

  1. Lie down on your side with the affected ear uppermost
  2. Completely flood your ear with olive oil (at room temperature) and massage the tragus (the skin flap just in front of the ear) and pull the top of the ear backwards and upwards. This enables the oil to run down the ear canal.
  3. Stay lying down for about 10 minutes and then wipe away any excess oil
  4. Do not leave cotton wool at the entrance to the ear
  5. Repeat the procedure with the opposite ear if necessary.
  6. Prior to irrigation insert the drops at last twice a day for at least 7 days (drops for 10-14 days is preferable).

Do not put cotton wool into your ears, as this will absorb the oil

Cleaning attempts: Using cotton buds, matchsticks and hair clips to try to clean out the ear canals is one of the most common causes of impacted wax. It causes the wax to be forced down the canal and forms a hard dry plug against the eardrum. Matchsticks and hair clips can inflict considerable damage to the skin lining of the canal. 


Elderly Care

The Practice runs a comprehensive service for care of the elderly including health checks

Patients may be visited at home if they are not well enough to attend the Surgery. The doctors and nurses liaise with Social Services as necessary. We offer pneumococcal vaccination for patients over 65.


Electronic Prescription Service

Sends electronic prescriptions from GP surgeries to pharmacies. Eventually EPS will remove the need for most paper prescriptions.

Most prescriptions are now signed, sent and processed electronically.

You have 2 choices for how this works.

  • You can choose a pharmacy or dispenser to dispense all your prescriptions. When you get a prescription, it will be sent electronically to the dispenser you have chosen. You can collect your medicines or appliances without having to hand in a paper prescription.
  • You can decide each time you are issued a prescription where you would like it to be dispensed. When you are issued a prescription, you will be given a paper copy that you can take to any pharmacy or other dispenser in England. The paper copy will contain a unique barcode that will be scanned to download your prescription from the secure NHS database.

Paper prescriptions will continue to be available in special circumstances, but almost all prescriptions will be processed electronically.

For more information please follow this link


Electronic Repeat Dispensing

If you or someone you care for uses the same medicines regularly, you may be able to benefit from electronic repeat dispensing.

This means you won't have to re-order or collect your repeat prescriptions from your GP practice every time you need more medicine.

You simply collect your regular medication from your usual pharmacy each month without actually having to order it.

Find out more by following this link


Family Planning and Sexual Health

SPMG has a dedicated Family Planning Practitioner, Senior Practice Nurse Alison Bristow.

A comprehensive family planning service is provided, we will be happy to advise you on family planning matters.

We offer a Mirine Coil Service, in addition to the Nexplanon Contraceptive Implant.

Your GP can still advise you about Depo Injections or contraception pills.

General Practice Female Sexual Health Clinics

  • Lintonville Medical Group: Friday 14.00 - 17.00 by appointment only. Tel: 01670 812772
  • Seaton Park Medical Group: Thursday afternoon by appointment only. Tel: 01670 811811
  • Guidepost Medical Group: Various options available by appointment only. Tel: 01670 822071
  • Bedlington Medical Group: Various options available by appointment only. Tel 01670 822695

Health Visitor

You can contact the health visitor in Ashington 01670 841133 or Newbiggin 01670 860212

For children under 5 they deal with the following within baby clinic:

  • Nappy rash
  • Mild skin problems
  • Sticky eyes-new born babies
  • Poor weight gain
  • Constipation
  • Squint
  • Eating problems

Hypertension Clinic

The Practice takes an active role in screening for hypertension.

Those patients found to have high or borderline blood pressure are followed up according to a standard protocol.


Immunisation for Children

Immunisation is most important to the health of your child.

He/she can be protected against the serious diseases of tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, mumps, German measles and meningitis. Immunisation clinics are held twice weekly to provide this service.


Joint Injections

SPMG offer a wide range of Joint Injections to our patients. Examples of targeted areas are:

  • Carpal Tunnel (Wrist)
  • Elbow
  • Knee
  • Plantar Fasciitus
  • Shoulder
  • Thumb (Trigger Finger)
  • Trochanteric Bursa (Hip)
  • Dixie Hallpike

Please contact the surgery for more information about this service. New cases will need to be assessed by our Orthopaedic Practitioner Ben Alcock in the first instance.


Maternity Care

The practice holds antenatal clinics twice weekly.

We hope to be able to care for most pregnancies from the beginning to delivery. Our community midwife attends the clinics and visits new mothers at home.

For NHS help and advice during pregnancy, birth and parenthood view the NHS Start 4 Life website.


Minor Surgery

The Practice is able to undertake a wide range of minor surgery procedures.

We believe such procedures undertaken within the Practice can be efficiently carried out and increase choice to our patients. If we have a long wait for a slot at the Practice, you may be offered a referral to a hospital is this would be quicker for you.


Orthopaedic Practitioner

Orthopaedic Practitioners are specially trained physios.

They are expert in diagnosing and managing new joint and back pain, they may refer on for physio but they are NOT here to provide physio.

If you have a new musculoskeletal (MSK) problem you can see an orthopaedic practitioner.

If it is a flare up of a problem which has troubled you before but gone away, you can see an orthopaedic practitioner.

Orthopaedic Practitioners do not sign sick/fit notes only GPs can do this.


Pre-Pregnancy Advice

If you and your partner are thinking of starting a family and want some advice, please contact the specially trained Health Visitors at the Ashington Children’s Centre.

Referral for genetic counselling is available if there are problems with hereditary disease within the families of either partner.

Infertility/problems with conception can be discussed by appointment with a doctor, and referral offered, if necessary for specialist information.


Social Prescribing

Wansbeck Primary Care Network have formed a partnership with Cygnus Support to provide a Social Prescribing service for our patients

This is delivered by our Team of 4 Community Link Workers who work across the PCN. They offer advice, signposting and additional support to our patients who have non-medical issues that may be impacting upon their wellbeing.

These issues could include money worries, family troubles, employment issues, carer stress, problems managing a long-term illness or disability, bereavement, and loneliness. Or the patient may just wish to engage in a new hobby, be more active or take up volunteering. Patients can self refer by completing the self referral form or by asking their health professional to refer on their behalf.

COMPLETE A SELF REFERRAL


Wansbeck Bipolar UK Support Group

Supporting people affected by bipolar

The group offers support and information in a friendly, safe and confidential setting for anyone affected by bipolar.

Family members, partners, friends and carers are all welcome.

Where:

The Susan Kennedy Centre
South View
Ashington
NE63 0SF

When:

Second Tuesday in every month
6.30pm to 8.15pm (6.15pm for refreshments)

For further information about the services of Bipolar UK please call 020 7931 6480 or email: groupdevelopment@bipolaruk.org.uk


Well Person Clinics

We offer all patients the opportunity to attend Well Person Clinics.

Our Healthcare Assistant will record your health details and where necessary refer you on to a Practice Nurse. She will also undertake certain tests as guided by our protocols. We feel that this is an excellent way of maintaining good health.


Xpress Clinic

The Xpress Clinic runs daily. Appointments can be booked on the day, or the day before.

The clinic is run by specialist trained nurses. The doctors have worked with the nurses to develop their skills in minor illness such as:

  • Acute cough and chest infections
  • Earache
  • Urinary infections
  • Sore Throats 
  • New rashes
  • Poorly children over 1