The NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) combines electronic booking with a choice of place, date and time for first hospital or clinic appointments. Patients can choose their initial hospital or clinic appointment, book it in the GP surgery at the point of referral, or later at home on the phone or online.
Sexual Health services in Barnet are run by CNWL – please see below for information:
Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
Our practice nurses trained in family planning offer a comprehensive family planning clinic for patients where they will discuss all forms of contraception and try to find the most appropriate one for you.
We also provide emergency contraception. Since this is best given as soon as possible after you have put yourself at risk, please explain to the receptionist what you need the appointment for, and we will try and see you quickly.
Women aged between 24 and 64 should have a cervical screening every 3 to 5 years to help prevent cervical cancer. The screening is quick and painless and can be done here in the practice.
If you are aged over 24 and have never had a smear test, or if it has been more than 3 to 5 years since your last screening, you should arrange an appointment with our Practice Nurse. You should not have the test while you are having a period or in the 4 days before or after your period as this can affect the sample.
Cervical screening is not a test for cancer. It is a method of preventing cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which, if left untreated, could lead to cancer in a woman’s cervix (the neck of the womb).
A sample of cells is taken from the cervix for analysis. A doctor or nurse inserts an instrument (a speculum) to open the woman’s vagina and uses a spatula to sweep around the cervix. Most women consider the procedure to be only mildly uncomfortable.
Early detection and treatment can prevent 75 per cent of cancers developing but like other screening tests, it is not perfect. It may not always detect early cell changes that could lead to cancer.
All women between the ages of 25 and 64 are eligible for a free cervical screening test every three to five yearsThe NHS call and recall system invites women who are registered with a GP. It also keeps track of any follow-up investigation, and, if all is well, recalls the woman for screening in three or five years time. It is therefore important that all women ensure their GP has their correct name and address details and inform them if these change.
Women who have not had a recent test may be offered one when they attend their GP or family planning clinic on another matter. Women should receive their first invitation for routine screening at 25.
This is because changes in the young cervix are normal. If they were thought to be abnormal this could lead to unnecessary treatment which could have consequences for women’s childbearing. Any abnormal changes can be easily picked up and treated from the age of 25. Rarely, younger women experience symptoms such as unexpected bleeding or bleeding after intercourse. In this case they should see their GP for advice.
Women aged 65 and over who have had three consecutive negative results are taken out of the call recall system. The natural history and progression of cervical cancer means it is highly unlikely that such women will go on to develop the disease. Women aged 65 and over who have never had a test are entitled to one.
The NHS Cervical Screening Programme invites all women between the ages of 25 and 64 for cervical screening. But if a woman has never been sexually active with a man, then the research evidence shows that her chance of developing cervical cancer is very low indeed. We do not say no risk, only very low risk. In these circumstances, a woman might choose to decline the invitation for cervical screening on this occasion. If a woman is not currently sexually active but has had male partners in the past, then we would recommend that she continues screening.
Yes. If you are aged 65 years or over or you are at higher risk.
Everybody aged 65 and over should now be immunised to help protect them against pneumococcal infection which can cause diseases such as pneumonia, septicaemia (blood poisoning) and meningitis. Please phone the surgery during September to make an appointment if the above applies to you.
Patients over 40 are recommended to have their blood pressure checked every 3 years and the Health Care Assistant can do this for you or you can check this yourself in the new self-monitoring blood pressure machine sited in the waiting room. Two readings should be taken as often the second one is lower.
If you are found to have high blood pressure you will be asked to attend monthly over the next few months to see whether or not it settles as some people are nervous and the reading can be falsely high.
If you drink excess alcohol, are overweight, add too much salt in your diet, take little exercise and smoke, you will be advised to rectify these factors as the blood pressure should then fall and medication may not be needed.
If your blood pressure is found to be consistently high you will be asked to have an ECG, chest X-ray, Urine and Blood tests to see whether the high blood pressure has caused or been caused by heart or kidney problems, and then you will be asked to see the doctor for review and given medication.
Once settled on regular medication for Hypertension (blood pressure), you will normally be reviewed by the nurse every six months with repeat blood and urine tests annually. The ECG and chest X-ray is repeated every five years.
It is important to have blood pressure under control as high blood pressure can cause strokes.
Whether you have recently been diagnosed, or have lived with diabetes for some time, we are here to help you develop an understanding of diabetes and gain control of your disease. Our aim is to improve your health and minimise complications of diabetes.
Patients who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes will need to see the Diabetic nurse a few times in the first few months. During this time patients and carers will be given support, information and advice about managing diabetes. This will involve some blood tests being done at the surgery.
We would like to see you once a year for a full review but will see you more often if it is needed.
If you are due an asthma review then please book a Respiratory Clinic appointment with our respiratory nurse. She will ask you about how you use your inhalers, and will do a Peak Flow test to see how well your lungs are working.
If any changes are needed to be made it will be explained to you, and a management plan for your asthma will be discussed.
If you have asthma and take regular inhalers you will be invited to have a flu immunisation every year and a one off pneumonia vaccination.
If you have been told you have COPD then you should ideally be seen at least once a year at the surgery for an annual review of your symptoms and inhalers. You will also be invited to have a flu immunisation every year and a one off pneumonia vaccination.
If you are due a COPD review then please book a respiratory appointment with our respiratory nurse. She will ask you about how you use your inhalers, and will do a test called spirometry to see how well your lungs are working.
If any changes are needed to be made it will be explained to you, and a management plan for your COPD will be discussed.
The NHS Breast Screening Programme began in 1988. It aims to invite all women aged 50 – 70 years for breast screening once every three years. Nationally the programme screens over 2 million women each year and diagnoses about 16,500 breast cancers annually.
The screening programme also offers women over 70 a free breast screen every three years. If you are over 70 you may not be sent an invitation but are encouraged to call the unit to make an appointment that suits you.
The aim of breast screening is to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage, often before the woman is aware of any problem. Early detection may mean simpler and more successful treatment. Scientific evidence shows that regular breast screening, between the ages of 50 – 70 years, reduces the death rate from breast cancer. See the NHS Breast Screening Programme for more details.
Prior to booking antenatal clinic (BGH) 020 8216 5137/5138
Following booking by community midwife contact detail s will be given
Based at Barnet General Hospital (BGH), midwives will provide shared care with the GPs before and after delivery. Once pregnancy has been confirmed by the GP, and so referral made to the antenatal clinic at BGH, an appointment for dating ultrasound scan (normally 12 – 14 weeks) will be sent.
This is followed by an appointment with midwives at approximately 14 – 16 weeks, including full antenatal check, information giving, etc. Subsequent care will be provided in accordance with the recommended NICE guidelines. www.nice.org.uk
Some women will have shared care with the consultant team at BGH, others will have midwife-led care, depending on medical and obstetric history.
Following the birth of your baby and discharge home from hospital, home visits will be provided by Team 6 midwives on a needs basis, normally 10 – 14 days, when your care will be handed over to the health visitor.
Information about Meningitis B vaccinations for babies
A comprehensive Immunisation programme is given via appointments with the practice nurse. Developmental surveillance is provided for the under fives and postnatal and six week checks by appointment with the doctor.
The health visitors are based at the Vale Drive Clinic – Tel: 020 8447 3500 where your baby can be weighed.
Ideally, kids should have their jabs at the right age to protect them as early as possible and minimise the risk of infection.
Here’s a checklist of the vaccines that are routinely offered to everyone in the UK for free on the NHS, and the age at which you should ideally have them.
People who fall into certain risk groups may be offered extra vaccines. These include vaccinations against diseases such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis (TB), seasonal flu and chickenpox. See the NHS Choices pages on vaccines for adults to find out whether you should have one.
