All women between the age of 20 and 65 should have a regular smear test every three to five years. 

The Health Authority now administers the smear recall program. They will write to you when your smear is due, asking you to make an appointment. When this happens please book in with the Practice Nurse at any time during your cycle.

We send out appointments for regular checks and immunisations for pre-school children. This is to make sure that our doctors and health visitors can check that children are developing normally and that there’s nothing to worry about.

Our doctors and nurses give confidential advice on all aspects of family planning, including coil fitting and emergency contraception.

We offer a wide range of health screening for men and women at our surgery.

Women aged between 50 and 60 are advised to attend the Breast Screening Unit every three years for a mammography. This is to make sure we can check and detect any abnormalities as soon as possible. These appointments are sent out by the local Breast Unit.

Find breast screening services.

Our antenatal and postnatal clinics are held at our surgery by our doctors and midwives.

We offer routine vaccinations and general advice to our patients travelling abroad.

It may take up to eight weeks for a full course of vaccinations, so please contact us in advance to give you plenty of time if you’re planning to go abroad where you need to be vaccinated.

Immunisations

Some services available are not covered under our contract with the NHS. This means that these services need to be paid for.

The services that include charges are:

• Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements.
• Insurance claim forms.
• Passport signing.
• Prescriptions for taking medication abroad.
• Private sick notes.
• Vaccination certificates.

Our reception staff and GPs will be happy to talk through the charges with you during your appointment.

Find out about local counsellors and advice services. You can access these services by speaking to your GP or the surgery’s receptionist.

Childhood Immunisations can be booked with a Practice Nurse at a time to suit you.

Tuesday’s Wednesday and Thursdays by appointment only.  These appointments are not held at North Swindon Practice.

Drs  Agorastakis, Sekharan and Whitworth out post-natal and 6 week checks by appointment.

Patients with long-term conditions such as Diabetes, Heart Disease and Hypertension can book for review with Health Care Assistant and a time convenient to you.  If blood tests are required these should be done before 14:30.

Many people go through periods of difficulty in their lives which leave them feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or unable to cope. LIFT Psychology Practitioners are trained to help people to understand more about these dfficulties and help them find ways of tackling or coping with them. You don’t need to be referred by your GP and you can book an appointment with one of the Psychology Practitioners who hold regular sessions at Home Ground Surgery. There are also self-help courses available; again no referral is necessary. Visit www.lift.awp.nhs.uk or telephone (01793) 836836 for further information.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday – by appointment

Here to Listen, Not to Tell
We provide a confidential service to our patients over the age of 16. You may choose to tell others about a visit to the surgery – but we will not.

Our Health Care Assistant Led Clinics can offer general or specialised primary care services. 

Phlebotomists

Our Phlebotomists take the majority of blood tests at the practice. They are available by appointment but we can only offer this service before 1500 pm as the samples are collected by 1530 am to be taken to the lab.

NHS Health Check

The Healthcare Assistant – will ask you some simple questions about your lifestyle and family history, measure your height and weight, and take your blood pressure and do a blood test – often using a small finger prick test.

Based on this, they will be able to give you an idea of your chances of getting heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes.

If you’re over 65, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for.

You will then receive personalised advice to lower your risk. This could include talking about:

• how to improve your diet and the amount of physical activity you do
• taking medicines to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol
• how to lose weight or stop smoking

The surgery has entered into a contract with Home Ground Pharmacy to provide Minor Illness Clinics, as well as Travel Immunisations and Smoke-Stop services. Appointments are booked in the normal way through the practice reception team.

The pharmacists can issue prescriptions if required. They have access to the medical records of patient who attend for consultations.

Our Nurse Led Clinics can offer general or specialised primary care services. You can find more on this page.

Practice Nurses are available by appointment for dressings, removal of stitches, ear syringing, cervical smears, contraception checks, HRT checks, immunisations and travel advice. They are also available for general advice. The nurses are responsible for running our Diabetic, Asthma and Hypertension/Coronary Heart Disease clinics and Well Person Checks.

The nurses provide a nurse triage and minor illness service in order to provide improved access to the appropriate health professional for our patients.

This is a nurse run clinic to monitor those patients with high blood pressure, a history of heart disease or stroke or significant risk factors for these. The Doctor will arrange for you to be added to the clinic list as appropriate and you will then receive regular invitations to attend.

It is recommended that all asthmatics have regular reviews. One of our nurses has a special training in managing asthma and runs this clinic. If you have asthma you will receive regular invitations to attend.

It is recommended that all diabetics have regular reviews. Our nurses have special training in diabetes management and if you are diabetic you will receive regular invitations to attend. One of these appointments each year will be your annual check with the Nurse and a GP. There is now a centrally run Eye Screening (Retinal Photography) Service for all Diabetics. You will be invited to attend by the service provider.