Practice Services

Screening Services

In house we offer

Cervical screening (Smear tests) is one of the best ways to protect yourself from cervical cancer.

You should receive an invite direct from the screening programme but if you do not here are the details regarding the frequency of the test. Once you receive an invite or if you feel you are over the timeframe please contact our reception team to book your appointment. The appointment itself only takes 15 minutes.

under 25 up to 6 months before you turn 25
25 to 49 every 3 years
50 to 64 every 5 years
65 or older only if 1 of your last 3 tests was abnormal

 

Although not carried out in house we strongly advise our patients to engage with the following screening programmes when invited

 

Breast screening

Breast screening is offered to women aged 50 to 70 to detect early signs of breast cancer. Women over 70 can self-refer.

Bowel cancer screening

There are 2 types of screening for bowel cancer.

A home testing kit is offered to men and women aged 60 to 74.

Bowel scope screening uses a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera on the end to look at the large bowel. It is offered to men and women at the age of 55 in some parts of England.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening

AAA screening is offered to men in their 65th year to detect abdominal aortic aneurysms (a dangerous swelling in the aorta). Men over 65 can self-refer.

Cervical Screening (Smear Test), Breast Screening, Bowel Screening and Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening

Vaccination Clinics

We offer the following vaccination clinics in house

 

Childhood Imms

HPV

Men ACWY

Men B, MMR

Pneumococcal

Rotavirus

Seasonal flu

Shingles

Travel vaccinations

 

Please contact reception as and when you receive an invite or to check if you’re due any of the above. For more information on these vaccines and the eligibility please view here  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/

Childhood Imms, HPV, Men ACWY, Men B, MMR, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, Seasonal flu, Shingles, Travel

Social Prescribing

Social prescribing, sometimes referred to as community referral, is a means of enabling GPs, nurses and other primary care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services.

Recognising that people’s health is determined primarily by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, social prescribing seeks to address people’s needs in a holistic way. It also aims to support individuals to take greater control of their own health.

Social prescribing schemes can involve a variety of activities which are typically provided by voluntary and community sector organisations. Examples include volunteering, arts activities, group learning, gardening, befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice and a range of sports.

Social prescribing is designed to support people with a wide range of social, emotional or practical needs, and many schemes are focused on improving mental health and physical well-being. Those who could benefit from social prescribing schemes include people with mild or long-term mental health problems, vulnerable groups, people who are socially isolated, and those who frequently attend either primary or secondary health care.

To access the social prescribing team please contact reception or self refer Social Prescribing – Andover Primary Care Network (andoverpcn.co.uk)

Dermoscopy

All of our GPs are trained in using a Dermatoscope (a specialised piece of equipment to look at the skin) to aid in the earlier and more accurate detection of skin cancer. This will be included as part of a standard routine appointment.

Dr Archard has also done further training with a Dermatology Diploma and provides separate specialist skin clinics through the Mid Hampshire Hub service which reduces the need for a secondary care referral or helps put you on the right pathway.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) ‘First Contact Practitioners’ (FCPs)

 

 

 

MSK FCPs are highly experienced members of the wider general practice team and are able to assess, diagnose, treat and manage patients with MSK issues. FCPs are mainly advanced physiotherapists with many years of experience. FCPs are offered as a better alternative to seeing your GP for MSK conditions such as hip, knee and back pain. Our service aims to improve your access and ensure you are seen by the right person at the right time. Early specialist assessment with take home advice/exercises has been proven to enhance patient recovery and self-management of the majority of these types of conditions. FCPs can help patients with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain by:
  • assessing and diagnosing issues
  • giving expert advice on how best to manage their conditions
  • referring them onto specialist services if necessary
  • By making it easier for patients to access physiotherapy services, patients will have quicker access to diagnosis and treatment, helping them to manage their conditions more effectively and recover faster, so they can get back to normal life quickly. This will in turn help GPs to manage their workload more effectively, and reduce the need for onward referrals.

The benefits of the MSK FCPs:

  • Typically will be seen quicker than a GP appointment
  • Faster access to specialist musculoskeletal care
  • Longer more in-depth appointments (20 minutes not 10 or 15)
  • Reduced referrals to other NHS departments (GP into Physio services etc)
  • FCPs have direct referral access to tests such as XRAY/ultrasounds where needed in the same way a GP does

Service eligibility:

  • Patients aged 16 or over
  • An MSK problem which you are not already under active treatment for
  • MSK conditions such as:
    • Soft tissue/muscle/tendon/ligament strains/sprains
    • Joint pain/injury
    • Acute flare up of a long-term condition
    • Back/neck Pain
    • Postural pain/problems
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Minor trauma (falls / sports injuries)
The service is inappropriate for you if you have any of these red flag symptoms alongside your MSK concern:
  • Weight loss
  • Previous history of cancer
  • Violent trauma
  • Fever
  • Saddle anaesthesia (loss of sensation of the buttocks, perineum or thighs)
  • Difficulty in micturition (abnormalities with the process of urinating)
  • Progressive neurology
  • Systemic steroid use
Musculoskeletal (MSK) First Contact Practitioners | NHS England | Workforce, training and education (hee.nhs.uk) First contact practitioners in musculoskeletal services (youtube.com)

Ear Syringing

As of June 2022, we no longer provide an in-house ear syringing service. This is because:

  1. The service is not funded under our Primary Care General Medical Services (GMS) contract so we receive no income to be able to run a service, pay for the nursing team, equipment etc.
  2. The workload in Primary Care is at an all-time high and we need to focus our staff resources on our core contractual services; as mentioned above ear syringing does not form part of that.
  3. Ear syringing has the potential to cause harm to ears.

We will continue to provide ear care and advice such as diagnosing the problem, prescribing and/or referring for treatment if needed but we will not be able to offer routine ear syringing.

The team at Mid Hampshire Healthcare (MHH) do offer an ear irrigation service, appointments for this can be booked with reception.

There are many local private and high street services which provide ear hygiene procedures, as these are not NHS providers we will not be able to offer referral recommendations. You can find this information online.

There are also self care ear wax bulb kits that can be brought from Community Pharmacies or online. Please speak to your pharmacist for more advice.

Advice and guidance on ear wax can be found here:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/

Smoking Cessation Clinics

You can self refer yourself to the Hampshire wide stop smoking service via the providers website https://www.smokefreehampshire.co.uk/

They offer Online, Telephone, Solo or Group face to face meetings.

 

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6-8 Week Baby and Postnatal Mother Check

We offer all new mums and babies a joint ‘Mother and Baby Check’ between 6-8 weeks from birth. When you register your new baby with the practice, these appointments will be automatically generated for you. If you have not heard by the time your baby is 4 weeks old, please make contact with the practice. The appointment lasts for around 30-45 minutes.

What happens at a 6 to 8 week baby check?

Your baby will be invited for a thorough physical examination. This is done by a GP.

Your baby’s eyes, heart, hips and – for boys – testicles will be checked. They’ll also have their weight, length and head circumference measured.

A GP or health visitor will discuss your baby’s vaccinations with you – these are offered at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks and 12 months old, and before your child starts school.

What happens at your postnatal check?

  • You’ll be asked how you’re feeling as part of a general discussion about your mental health and wellbeing.
  • You’ll be asked if you still have any vaginal discharge and whether you have had a period since the birth.
  • Your blood pressure will be checked if you had problems during pregnancy or immediately after the birth.
  • You may be offered an examination to see if your stitches have healed if you had an episiotomy or caesarean section.
  • If you were due for a cervical screening test while pregnant, this should be rescheduled for 12 weeks after the birth.
  • You’ll be asked about contraception.
  • If you’re overweight or obese, with a BMI of 30 or more, you may be weighed. Your doctor should give you weight loss advice and guidance on healthy eating and physical activity.
  • Your 6-week postnatal check – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
  • The 6-8 week postnatal check :: Healthier Together (what0-18.nhs.uk)

Childhood Immunisations

We run child immunisations clinics on a Tuesday morning 0900-11.45. 

You should receive notification from the Children’s Health Authority or Health Visitor regarding the children’s immunisation schedule but failing that the latest is below:

Childhood Vaccinations – Essential information :: Healthier Together (what0-18.nhs.uk)

Vaccinations – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Please contact the surgery 2-4 weeks in advance to book your first appointment. 

Further appointments will then be made whilst you are in the clinic.

Phlebotomy (Blood Tests)

We have teamed up with Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust (HHFT) in order to bring a Phlebotomy service closer to home for your convenience. Our on-site Phlebotomy service operates on a Wednesday morning (8:00 to 12:00) and some Monday mornings by appointment only.

You will be able to book into these appointments via Patient Access online, the NHSApp or by contacting our reception team on 01264 351144. Please note you should only book an appointment if you have been requested to do so by a member of our team otherwise a request will not have been generated for you and the blood test appointment will be wasted.

Appointments are also available through the Mid Hampshire Healthcare service on certain Saturdays, please ask reception. These appointments also take place at the surgery.

Whilst attending for your Phlebotomy appointment why not use our surgery Health Pod at the same time and check your blood pressure, height and weight to keep your medical record up to date. Just ask at reception.

You still also have the option to book a Phlebotomy appointment at Andover War Memorial Hospital (AWMH) should you wish, their services operate:

Andover War Memorial Hospital7.30am – 4.50pm (Mon-Fri)
8.00am – 9.50am (Sat)

You can book online or by calling 01256 314751, option 1 for Andover.

https://www.hampshirehospitals.nhs.uk/our-services/az-departments-and-specialties/pathology-inc-blood-tests/blood-tests