Clinics & Services

Practice nursing team

Our two nurses run specialised clinics as well as offering advice on health promotion e.g. smoking cessation. You can make an appointment to see the nurse by yourself or on the advice of a doctor. The practice nurses are available to speak to by telephone daily. Please phone on 01698 575738.

Community Nursing Team

This team is based at the Bellshill Community Clinic, Greenmoss Place, Bellshill (01698 575700). The team includes Health Visitors who care for children and the elderly and District Nurses who provide nursing services to the housebound.

Treatment Room

These facilities are based in the Bellshill Community Clinic, Greenmoss Place, Bellshill (01698 575700). To be seen you must have a referral from your doctor or practice nurse and you will be given an appointment to attend.

Phlebotomist

If the doctor or nurse wish you to have a blood test you will be given an appointment with the phlebotomist who is specially trained to take blood.

Family planning

All the doctors and Sister Turnbull can give advice on contraception. If you are considering Nexplanon insertion or removal you should arrange a telephone consultation with Dr Ruthven or Dr Haggerty.

Medicals

Should you need an insurance, employment or other medical please inform the receptionist who will arrange a special appointment.

Antenatal Clinics

The community midwives run these clinics every Wednesday in the surgery.

Other services provided

• Minor surgery including joint injection and wart clinic
• Maternity
• Child Health Surveillance
• Childhood Immunisations
• Travel Health including holiday vaccination

Special clinics available to you

• Asthma
• COPD
• Diabetes
• Well woman clinics including cervical smears
• Vascular clinic including hypertension, heart disease and stroke
• Rheumatology clinic

You may be asked to attend these clinics by your GP or nurse so that your long term disease can be appropriately monitored. You may also make an appointment yourself if you feel you would benefit from attending.

Intimate examinations

In order to provide the best possible care, a doctor may have to examine you. Occasionally this might require examination of intimate areas. We understand that such examinations can be both stressful and embarrassing. If this sort of examination is necessary:

• We will explain to you why the examination is necessary and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
• We will explain what the examination will involve, and tell you whether the examination will be painful or uncomfortable.
• We will obtain your permission before carrying out any such examination.
• You will be offered a chaperone.
• We will respect your privacy at all times during the examination, and while dressing and undressing.

The doctors and nursing staff will be happy to discuss any of your concerns about the above

Hepatitis C is treatable for most people.  It is possible to live a normal life if you have it.  A simple confidential test can let you know if you have Hepatitis C.

How do you get it?

Hepatitis C is a virus that is transmitted (passed on) by infected body fluids.  It is mainly transmitted throught contact with the blood of an infected person.  This is commonly referred to as blood to blood contact which means you can get Hepatitis C when infected blood finds its way into your bloodstream and the virus is able to survive and multiply to establish an infection.  In terms of an average healthy lifestyle, the opportunities for that to happen are quite rare.

Risk factors, who is at risk of Hepatitis C?

You should consider a test for Hepatitis C if you have ever been at risk of exposure to the virus.  This includes anyone who:

• Has ever injected or snorted drugs in the past (including anabolic steroids) using shared equipment, however long ago, even if this was only once or twice.
• Has had a blood transfusion in the UK before September 1991.
• Has received any blood products before 1987 in Scotland (before 1986 in England)
• Has been the recipient of an organ / tissue transplant in the UK before 1982.
• Has ever received medical or dental treatment in countries where infection control may be poor.
• Is the child of a mother with Hepatitis C.
• Is a regular sexual partner/household contact of someone with Hepatitis C.
• Has been accidentally exposed to blood where there is a risk of transmission of Hepatitis C (eg healthcare worker with a needlestick injury).
• Has had tattoos, peircings, acupuncture or electrolysis where infection control procedures are poor.
• Is infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

To have a test please make a telephone appointment with a GP and we can book you an appointment for a blood test.

Annual Flu Vaccination Clinics

SATURDAY 7th OCTOBER     9.00am - 1.00pm

SATURDAY 4th NOVEMBER   9.00am - 1.00pm

If you are eligible for your flu vaccine please come along at any time during one of these clinics.