The Heron Practice - The clinics and other services offered by our doctors surgery

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Friend and Family Test
Please let us have your views via this website (please see the "Have Your Say" section below) or by completing a form available at the practice.

Patient Forum
We are always looking for more patients to join our Patient Forum Group. For further information please contact Mandy Lawrence, Practice Manager, or click on "Further Information Patient Group" on the home page.

Named Accountable GP
The NHS standard contract for 2015/16 requires that all patients, including children, are allocated a named, accountable GP. The named, accountable GP will have overall responsibility for the care and support that the practice provides for you. This does not prevent you from seeing any GP in the practice as you currently do.
If you would like to know who your named GP is please contact reception.

Change of Telephone Number
It is very important that you let us know if you change your telephone number.
You can do this by completing:
* the on line change of details form at the foot of this page
* the change of details form available from reception
Alternatively you can include the details on your repeat prescription request.

GP Registrars
As you may be aware the Heron Practice is a teaching practice.
We currently have Drs Suki Shandrakopal, Jane Miles and Aliya Mustapha undertaking their "in service" placement with us.

Foreign Travel

Clinics & Services

Find Services

We are able to offer basic travel advice and information. If your trip is complex or extended you may need to seek additional advice from a specialist travel clinic.

We are able to give polio, tetanus, diphtheria, typhoid and hepatitis A vaccines. We do not charge for these.

We do not offer hepatitis B, meningitis ACWY, yellow fever, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, tick borne encephalitis or cholera vaccines. Information regarding specialist travel clinics which offer these vaccines can be obtained from reception; please note these clinics will make a charge for providing this service.

Tablets for malaria prevention are not available on the NHS therefore you will pay the full cost of these. Some can be bought “over the counter” whilst others require a private prescription. The practice charges for issuing private prescriptions; this is in addition to the cost of the medicine.

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements; it is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible and at least 6 weeks before you travel as a second appointment may be required to ensure you receive the full course of vaccinations.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Carribean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

Anti-coagulation Clinic (Warfarin)

Patients who are taking Warfarin tablets can have their blood tested and their dosage adjusted here in the practice rather than go to the hospital. Please ask at reception for details of when the clinics are held.

Baby Clinic

Our health visitor is available between 9:00am and 11:00am on Wednesday mornings to weigh your baby and undertake development checks. Some longer developmental checks will need to be booked with her in advance.

Our Practice Nurses are also available on a Wednesday morning to administer child vaccinations; however you will need to book an appointment for this service. We do offer this service at other times; please contact reception to book an appointment.

We offer a 6 week mum and baby check with one of the doctors from the practice; we will write to you with an appointment date when you are due to come in.

Chronic Disease Management

If you suffer from asthma, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, COPD or kidney disease you will be asked to come in for regular checks; it is important that you attend for these. For more information please speak to one of the Practice Nurses or our Clinical Pharmacist.

Contraception Services

We offer most forms of contraception. The Practice Nurses are able to offer advice on all contraceptive problems and start patients on contraceptive pills. We have a supply of condoms, which are free of charge, for patients. We can also fit coils. Please ask at reception for further information.

Health Care Assistants

Our health care assistants provide a range of services including routine health checks, blood tests, blood pressure checks and lifestyle advice (eg. weight management).

You can make an appointment to see the health care assistants via reception.

Obesity and Weight Loss

We provide advice on how to lose weight , which may include the option of medication if appropriate, and ongoing support. Please ask at reception for further details.

Practice Nurses

Our Practice Nurses provide a range of services including chronic disease annual reviews (eg. asthma and diabetes), smear tests, contraception advice, childhood immunisation, dressings, ear syringing and travel immunisation and advice.

You can make an appointment to see the nurses via reception. In special circumstances the practice nurses may do home visits but home nursing services are normally provided by the district nursing team.

Sexual Health Screening

We provide sexual health advice and are able to offer full screening for sexually transmitted diseases for men and women including HIV testing.