As well as our practice, there are many other local NHS services you can contact for health advice, information or treatment – including pharmacists.
Before you do, remember that you can treat many minor ailments such as colds, coughs and indigestion by keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home. See our suggestions for a first aid kit.
General health information:
The 2 most useful resources for general health information are the NHS website, and
Healthy living:
If you want quit smoking, or get help with losing weight, contact OneSmallStep on 0800298 2654 or 01392 908 139, or you can email them. Or check out the NHS Change 4 Life page
Minor ailments:
Most minor illnesses are self limiting and do not need antibiotics. They often last longer than you might expect:
Middle ear infection 4 days
Sore throat 7 days
Common cold 10 days How do I know it’s not flu?
Sinusitis 18 days
Cough/bronchitis 21 days
If in doubt, of course you should contact the surgery.
Click on the links below to view some of our most frequently requested patient information leaflets:
Coughs and colds in young children
High temperature (fever) in children
Diarrhoea and vomiting (gastroenteritis) in children
Diarrhoea and vomiting (gastroenteritis) in adults
There is a wealth of videos about health conditions in the NHS Video Library
Mental health issues:
If you feel low, anxious or depressed, you can contact the Talk Works service by phoning them direct on 0300 555 3344, or completing their online form
There are also free Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Courses available online: Living life to the full and Mood Gym are both well recognised
For those who like to ready, there is a scheme called Reading Well, and most of the books are available at your local library – a list of books can be found here.