Services
Please find a comprehensive list of our services below, alternatively use the left hand menu bar if you are looking for something specific.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture for use in musculoskeletal and some neurological conditions. This service is provided by Dr Netts during normal surgery sessions on selected patients. Courses of three to six sessions (one a week) are usually enough.
Ante Natal Care
This service provides women with access to a GP and midwife every Tuesday 1.00pm -3.00pm. Provision of ante-natal care for women having shared care. Women receiving full hospital care can attend if needed.
Asthma
Nurse-led appointments for diagnosed asthmatics in general surgery time. Monitoring general health, use of medication, identifying changes in condition and follow-up.
Baby Clinic
Patients have access to this service every Wednesday 1.30-3.30pm.
Open access for consultations with GP, Health Visitor. The Practice Nurse is available 2.00-3.30pm for child immunisations.
Parents will be invited by the Health Visitor to attend for six-eight week developmental check for baby. Open access to discuss health needs/child's progress with appropriate professional. Open access for general concerns and poorly babies.
Continence Clinic
Held every two weeks, although additional clinics if demand exceeds this clinic. Patients are invited by letter for re-assessment of existing continence problems and at six months. New referrals are made by individual GPs and often via post-natal services. Patients continence assessed; advice given to promote continence; products supplied if required; specialist referral to physiotherapy (treatments include vaginal cones).
Contraceptive Services
In addition to prescribing the contraceptive pill for woman and providing free condoms, the practice offers various other methods of contraceptive services.
Dr Leeder has extensive experience and can provide:
* Insertion and removal of Coils
* Insertion and removal of the contraceptive Implant
These services can be provided to patients who are not registered with this practice. Contact the surgery for further details.
COPD
The practice provides structured care in the detection and management of COPD.
* To assess changes made to patient management through review and follow up appointments
* To monitor and ensure best COPD care is maintained through early and accurate diagnosis
* To ensure best control of symptoms, prevention of complications and slowing deterioration
* To increase patients understanding and awareness of their condition and treatments to enable them to function as normally as possible and improve their quality of life
* To actively encourage smoking cessation and provide smoking cessation advice
* To review annually
CPN/Counsellor
A weekly session for mental health assessment with a view to follow up, advice or direction to suitable agencies - by a Community Psychiatric Nurse for patients suffering from long term mental health problems.
Diabetic services
The practice holds a weekly diabetic clinic. The clinic is run in conjunction with the Practice Nurse.
Nutrition Services
The practice holds a weekly Dietetic clinic for Newcastle East Locality patients.
Elderly Health Checks
Elderly patients are invited to attend an annual health check with our Nursing Assistant.
Emergency Contraception
Patients requiring emergency contraceptive advice and treatment should be seen within 72 hours but benefit from starting treatment within 24 hours in the case of pills or at a maximum of 5 days for IUD fitting. Please let the receptionist know you need emergency advice if you are told there is no available appointment.
Please remember for patients over the age of 16 years that emergency contraception is available over the counter at local pharmacies.
Out of Hours:
The Walk In Centre at Newcastle General Hospital will issue emergency contraception.
Other sources are:
Streetwise Tel No: 230 5400 (Age range 13-25 years)
Graingerville Clinic Tel No: 219 5239
Family Planning
Heaton Medical Centre offers a full range of family planning services. All partners offer advice on contraceptive methods, and prescribe contraceptive pills, and emergency contraceptive pills.
Patients established on contraceptive pills can have their check up with the practice nurse and have their prescription renewed. The nurse can also initiate prescriptions for contraceptive pills within an agreed protocol.
Dr Leeder holds the DFFP, and has expertise in the fitting of IUDs, diaphragms and injection of implants.
Condoms are available free of charge from GPs, practice nurses and health visitors.
For more information on any method contact the surgery for literature or visit FPA's website www.fpa.org.uk
Hearing Test
Audiograms are carried out by our Nursing Assistant and are available by GP referral.
Minor Surgery
Minor surgical procedures can be carried out in house.
This offers patients a convenient service without the need for a hospital referral.
The service covers the excision of simple skin lesions, aspiration of ganglions and hydrocoeles and toenail surgery. We also offer a Cryotherapy service for the freezing of skin lesions which is a quick and safe way of dealing with things such as warts skintags and solar keratoses.
Local steroid injections are also performed for conditions such as trigger finger, tennis elbow and frozen shoulder.
Please discuss any problems that may be helped by this with one of the Doctors.
New Patient Health Checks
The practice offers all new patients a health check by either the Nursing Assistant or Practice Nurse.
Pharmacist - In-house
The practice has two pharmacists who are available to provide advice on any medication you are taking.
During the half hour medication review appointment the pharmacist will:
* Synchronize medication
* Check compliance and understanding
* Make recommendations to patient and GP
* Arrange BP check/bloods as necessary
Post MI Heart Facilitation
The practice operates a Health Hearts Rehabilitation project for patients post MI. The project involves an initial consultation/visit within the first week on discharge from hospital after an MI. The Nurse follows a structure rehabilitation programme in conjunction with the Heart Manual, which is prescribed by the hospital.
Post Natal Checks
Post natal checks are available on a Wednesday afternoon between 1.30 and 3.30pm. Child six-week checks can also be arranged at the same time.
Pre-conception Counselling
Pre-pregnancy counselling will be offered to any women requesting health advice preconception, and opportunistically where appropriate.
Women with chronic diseases will be targeted at annual reviews, e.g. epilepsy, hypertension, heart disease, asthma, renal disease, psychiatric conditions. Women with inherited conditions or racial groups can be offered genetic counselling and/or screening e.g. for sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia.
General advice for all women:
* Maintain a healthy lifestyle
* Diet - foods to be avoided, supplement of Folic Acid 400 micrograms a day
* Smoking - to stop
* Alcohol - to stop
* Illicit Drug Use - to stop
* Sexual health can be discussed
* Rubella status can be checked
* Sexually Transmitted Infections
If you think you have been at risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease either consult one of the doctors or telephone the Genito-urinary Medicine Clinic (Tel No: 219 5013) for an appointment.
For reasons of conscience Dr Leeder does not refer for termination of pregnancy but will always discuss the request, and refer on to one of the other Partners.
Smoking Cessation
Referral to the smoking cessation clinic is initiated by the patient for a GP referral to one of our four advisors. Appointments are available 8.00am-6.00pm Monday-Friday. The aim of the advisors is to support and educate those patients who are motivated to stop smoking.
Tissue Viability
This service is run according to demand. Patients are referred for vascular assessment, with or without associated wounds, by the GP or Practice Nurse. Three monthly Doppler studies are offered to all patients fitted with compression hosiery and/or bandaging, in line with RCN guidelines.
A counsellor holds two-three hour sessions, three times a week. The counsellor will see patients suffering from short term counselling problems i.e. depression, stress and bereavement.