Clinics & Services

Practice Nurses

You can book appointments with our practice nurses in advance for blood pressure checks, changing dressings, travel immunisations etc. The nurses also run clinics for patients with established health problems, for example Asthma, COPD and Diabetes. These patients will be invited for regular checks.

Smears can be done either by our practice nurses or in a Family Planning clinic session. Female patients receive a letter when their cervical smear is due.

The following clinics are available to Alma patients:

COPD Clinic

Asthma Clinic

Held by Nurse Julie Canham by appointment.

Diabetes Clinic

Held by Nurse  Nurse Julie Canham by appointment.

Travel Health Clinic

Held by Nurse Julie Canham by appointment. This service is also available to non-registered patients.

Child Immunisations

Held by Nurse Julie Canham on Thursday mornings by appointment.

Mother and Baby Clinic

Held by the Health Visiting Team. For further details please contact the team on 01202 547307.

Contraception

Please see Contraception section. This service is available to both registered and non-registered patients.

Phlebotomy

The practice runs three Phlebotomy clinics a week - Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday am. Due to high demand, priority for these clinics is given to the elderly and those less able to travel, INR patients and practice recall patients. In some instances patients may be asked to attend the Royal Bournemouth Hospital for their blood test.

Self-Care Guidance

To view our 'Self-Care' page for various fact sheets and self help guidance leaflets to refer to, should you have any concerns.

Click HERE to view this page - but don't forget...NHS 111 are there to help you day or night, 24/7

Other clinics

On the advice of your doctor, you may be referred to one of the following specialist clinics held at the surgery, which provide care both to our patients and to patients from other practices: 

• Podiatry and Footcare

Self-Care Guidance

Practice Information Leaflets

Below are a selection of leaflets outlining the practice's administrative information.

Printed copies of these can be found in our practice waiting areas.

Appointments

Complaints, Comments & Suggestions

Data Sharing & Opt-Out Form

Practice Booklet

Test Results

Please call after 2.30pm to enquire about your test results as our reception staff will have more time to deal with your request after this time.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you take your test you will be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice.

It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if you are advised to do so.

Alma Clinic - Contraception Service 

Our practice doctors can provide Family Planning advice to men and women of any age in complete confidence in a normal surgery appointment.

The Alma Clinic is a specialised Contraception Clinic staffed by doctors and nurses who specialise in Family Planning, coil fitting and  contraception.

Emergency contraception is available within 3 days after you have been at risk. If you think you have been at risk, you should tell our receptionist you need an emergency appointment on the same day.

Alma Clinic reception

Telephone 01202 519491 during opening hours (phones open half an hour before clinic begins).

Alma Clinic times:

Monday's 10:30am to 19:30pm. Please note this service is closed on Bank Holidays.

A clinic leaflet is available from Reception.

Contraception and Sexual Health Doctors

• Dr Alison Vaughan MB ChN DRCOG MRCGP MFFP DipM

Contraception and Sexual Health Nurse

Kerrie Ewer RGN

NON-NHS SERVICES INFORMATION

REQUESTING A MEDICAL REPORT, FORM OR LETTER:

To request the Doctor to complete any of additional services we provide, the information or service needs to be requested in writing, for example a letter would require details of what information you require the doctor to include.

Once we know how much work needs to be done, you will be contacted by the surgery to be informed if a payment needs to be made. Please click the link below to view our standard charges for Non-NHS services.

Standard charges List for NON-NHS services

PLEASE NOTE PAPERWORK CAN TAKE UP TO 4 WEEKS TO COMPLETE

 WHY AM I BEING CHARGED?

It’s important to understand that GP’s are not employed by the NHS, they are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, building, heating, lighting etc. – in exactly the same way as any small business.

When a Doctor signs a certificate or completes a letter, report or form, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they are only to sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms, the Doctor might have to check the Patient’s entire medical records. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the Doctor with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

The BMA recommends that GP’s tell patients in advance if they will be charged. It is up to the individual Doctor to decide how much to charge. All surgeries have lists of fees available.

Paperwork can take up to 4 weeks to complete as time spent completing forms and preparing reports take the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload – the majority of GPs work up to 70 hours a week and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time.

WESSEX HEALTHIER TOGETHER - www.what0-18.nhs.uk