Health A-Z
Your complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help.
Health A-Z
Medicines A-Z
Find out how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.
Medicines A-Z
Who Do I See?
Long Term Conditions
Tests and Results
Tests & Results
Blood test samples are now taken by the Phlebotomist by appointment:
- Tuesday 8.30am – 12 noon & 2-00pm – 6pm. Thursday 8.30am – 12.00 noon.
Appointments before 9.00am are reserved for patients requiring fasting blood tests.
Warning advice:Notice
Please note that the Phlebotomist is not a nurse and can only take blood samples as requested by your GP or another health professional eg. consultant or nurse.
Telephone Queries for Results
Please telephone between 2.00pm and 4.00pm for results of recent tests. These can normally only be given to the patient and NOT to relatives, except in the case of children.
Test results can take several days to come back. The phlebotomist or health professional should advise you when to ring for the particular test or tests you have had.
The receptionist may only be able to state for example that the result is normal, or that you will need to discuss the results with or make an appointment to see the nurse or doctor. Please do not expect the receptionist to have any other information regarding your test.
The receptionists have been asked not to disturb consultations with non-urgent telephone calls.
Carers Direct
Carers Direct
Contents
Are You a Carer?
If you are please let us know below – we may be able to help you.
There is a wealth of information on the NHS website about carers and caring. Below are some links into the site that we hope you will find useful.
- A guide to care and support – Information for carers and people who have care & support needs.
- Caring for someone – Advice on providing care, medicines etc.
- Care after hospital – Providing care for people who have been recently discharged from hospital.
- Taking a break – Caring for someone can be a full-time job – find out about accessing breaks and respite care.
- Support and benefits for carers – Caring for someone can be a full-time job – find out about accessing breaks and respite care.
- Work and Disability – Guidance, support and help with employment issues.
- Being a Young carer – Advice for carers 18 or under and their entitlement to support
Contact Carers Direct
Telephone 0808 802 0202
Helpline Information
http://www.nhs.uk/carersdirect/carerslives/updates/pages/carersdirecthelpline.aspx
Office Hours
Lines are open 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm at weekends. Calls are free from UK landlines.
Finance and Law
Help claiming benefits, looking after your bank balance and understanding the legal issues of caring.
- Benefits for carers – Directing carers to the benefits that can help them in their caring role
- Benefits for the under-65s – Advice and information on helping the person you look after get the benefits that they are entitled to.
- Benefits for the over-65s – Advice and information on financial support for older people with a disability or illness.
- Carer’s Assessment – How your benefits maybe affected after the death of the person you look after and what happens to their benefits
- Other benefits – Advice for carers and the people they are looking after on claiming a whole host of other benefits unrelated to their disability or caring.
Pregnancy Guide
Whatever you want to know about getting pregnant, being pregnant or caring for your new baby, you should find it here.
Pregnancy Guide
Coronavirus
Get the latest NHS information and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19).
Coronavirus Information
Self Help
We are keen to help patients improve on self help and hope that the following information will offer some insight into that.
Take a look and see if you can improve your own understanding of your health and well-being! Please encourage others to look here too.
Here is a list of ailments that can be safely self managed. You will see that you can take a look via the hyperlink at the other websites which can offer you further information about managing your condition.
Common ailments that can be self managed:
| Back pain NHS | Cold sores NHS |
| Common Cold NHS | Conjunctivitis NHS |
| Constipation NHS | Cough NHS |
| Diarrhoea NHS | Dysmenorrhoea (painful periods) NHS |
| Earache NHS | Haemorrhoids NHS |
| Hayfever NHS | Head lice NHS |
| Headache NHS | Heartburn & Indigestion NHS |
| Influenza NHS | Insect bites NHS |
| Migraine NHS | Nasal congestion NHS |
| Nappy rash NHS | Sore throat NHS |
| Sinusitis NHS | Sprains and strains NHS |
| Thrush NHS | Warts and Verrucas NHS |
Sickness Certificates
You do not require a doctor’s sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.
Evidence That you are Sick
If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).
Your employer can ask you to confirm that you’ve been ill.You can do this by filling in a form yourself when you return to work. This is called self-certification.
If you’re sick and off work for more than seven days, your employer will probably ask for proof of your illness. Most employers ask for a fit note from your GP.
However, this will also depend on your employer’s company policy on sick leave (or sickness absence). This policy should tell you how many days you can be off sick before you need to provide proof of illness or a fit note.
You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.
Statement of Fitness for Work – ’Fit Note’
The ‘fit note’ was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer’s support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.
For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced).
Mental Health and Wellbeing
If you’re feeling stressed, anxious or depressed, or just want to feel happier, we’re here to help.
Mental Health Information and Support
Children’s Health
Follow the link to the Children’s Health Matters: What To Do if Your Child is Unwell guide.