Keeping Healthy
Self-Care
Self-care is about keeping fit and healthy, understanding when you can look after yourself, when a pharmacist can help, and when to get advice from your GP or another health professional.
NHS Live Well provides information about maintaining a healthy lifestyle including eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol.
Child Vaccinations
It's important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection. If your child has missed a vaccine, contact the surgery to catch up.
We encourage parents to book their child’s first vaccinations at 8 weeks, at the same time as your post-natal check. Please remember to bring your Red Book.
Child Health and Wellbeing
The below link is an information guide for parents and carers created by teams from Midwifery, Health Visiting, Hospital & Community Paediatricians & nurses to help navigate common questions that may arise during a child's first few years.
Health and wellbeing in the first few years
Adult Immunisations
Check which scheduled immunisations you are eligible for and book with our care navigators on 01728 723627
Cervical Screening
All women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 65 are strongly recommended to have cervical screening. It is advised that first cervical screen is performed at 25 years of age, then 3 yearly up to 49 and then every 5 years from 50 to 64 years. Most patients will be invited by letter. The cervical screen is performed by our Practice Nurses or an appointment can be arranged in the evenings or weekends at GP+ out of hours service.
Further information about cervical screening
It is important that you do not wait for your screening if you experience abnormal vaginal bleeding. Please contact the surgery to book an appointment on 01728 723627 or use e-Consult
If you're a trans man you may not be invited automatically. If not ,you will need to talk to the GP surgery.
Breast Screening (Mammography)
You'll automatically get your first invite for breast screening between the ages of 50 and 53. Then you'll be invited every 3 years until you turn 71 years.
Further information about breast screening
If you're a trans man, trans woman or are non-binary you may not be invited automatically. If not ,you will need to talk to your GP surgery or call the local breast screening service to ask for an appointment.
You need to be registered with a GP surgery to be invited for breast screening.
East Suffolk breast Screening Service
Family Planning/Contraception
All doctors and practice nurses can discuss your contraceptive requirements and are available for contraceptive advice.
We also offer an IUD (coil) fitting and contraceptive implant service with our Practice Nurse, Kate Ellerby.
Please go to our Contraception and Sexual health page for further information.
Trying to get pregnant
You can improve your chance of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy by
- Taking folic acid (available from the chemist) before you get pregnant and until 12 weeks.
- Quitting smoking
- Stopping alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy weight. You can check your BMI here
- Checking that any medication you are prescribed, or that you purchase is safe in pregnancy
- Ensuring you vaccinations are up-to date
- Ensure that your cervical screening is up-to date
- Talking to a doctor if you have a long-term condition, are overweight or have a family history of spina bifida
Further information about trying for a baby
Further information about planning you next pregnancy
Please see our pregnacy advice page for further information.
Health Checks
If you are between the ages of 40 and 74 years, and have not already been diagnosed with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease or high blood pressure, you are eligible for an NHS health check every 5 years.
This can be booked with a health care assistant (HCA) by calling our care navigators on 01728 723627. Alternatively you can book with OneLife Suffolk on 01473 718193 or on online at OneLife Suffolk
Flu Vaccinations
The flu vaccine is given free on the NHS to people who:
- are 65 and over (in some years this is subject to change).
- have certain health conditions such as diabetes, lung disease &heart disease, For the complete list click here
- are pregnant
- are in long-stay residential care
- receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you become unwell
- live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
- frontline health or social care workers
Further information about the flu vaccination
Some children are also eligible. Most children will receive a nasal spray flu vaccination unless there is a reason not to.
Further information about the childrens nasal spray flu vaccination
The flu vaccinations are normally delivered in late September/ early October. Please contact the surgery on 01728 723627 to arrange your flu jab if you are eligible.
Pneumococcal Vaccination
Babies, people aged 65 and over, anyone from the ages of 2 to 64 with a health condition that increases their risk of pneumococcal infection or anyone at occupational risk, such as welders can book for a pneumococcal vaccination
Further information about the pneumococcal vaccination
Please contact the surgery on 01728 723627 to arrange your pneumococcal vaccination if you are eligible.
Shingles Vaccinations
You are eligible for a shingles vaccination if you are aged 70-79 years
Further information about the shingles vaccination
Please contact the surgery on 01728 723627 to arrange your shingles vaccination if you are eligible.
Whooping Cough Vaccination
It is recommended that pregnant women have the whooping cough vaccination between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to protect your baby. The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta and provide passive protection for them until they are old enough to be routinely vaccinated against whooping cough at 8 weeks old.
Further information about the whooping cough vaccination
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)Screening
AAA screening is offered to men during the screening year (1 April to 31 March) that you turn 65. Men aged 65 and over are most at risk of AAAs, and screening can help spot a swelling in the aorta at an early stage.
Screening is not routinely offered to groups where there is a smaller risk of an AAA. These are:
- men under the age of 65
- women
- anyone who has already been treated for an AAA
Men who are resident in England will receive an invitation in the post for screening when they are aged 64 or 65.
Men over 65 who have not received an invitation can contact their local AAA screening service to make an appointment.
Further information about AAA screening
To book an appointment if you missed yours, contact NHS Five Rivers AAA screening service
PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer
There is not a national screening programme for prostate cancer, but there is a prostate cancer risk management programme (PCRMP) which provides guidance for testing asymptomatic men or people with a prostate who ask about prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing. The PSA test is available free to any well man aged 50 and over who requests it
You should not have a PSA test if
- you have had a urinary infection within previous 6 weeks
- you have ejaculated in previous 48 hours
- you have exercised vigorously, for example cycling in previous 48 hours
- had a urological intervention such as prostate biopsy in previous 6 weeks
Further information on PSA testing
Information for men with out symtoms about PSA testing and prostate cancer
If you are a trans woman or non-binary person assigned male at birth you can still get prostate cancer. If you are worried about your risk or any symptoms, it is important to talk to your doctor. The tests you have will depend on your history and any treatment you’re currently taking.
Prostate cancer information for trans women or a non-binary person assigned male at birth
Bowel Cancer Screening
NHS bowel cancer screening checks if you could have bowel cancer. It's available to everyone aged 60 to 74 years.
The programme being expanded to make it available to everyone aged 50 to 59 years. This is happening gradually over 4 years and started in April 2021.
You use a home test kit, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), to collect a small sample of poo and send it to a lab. This is checked for tiny amounts of blood.
Bowel cancer is the 4th most common type of cancer. Screening can help prevent bowel cancer or find it at an early stage, when it's easier to treat.
Further information on bowel cancer screening
If you develop a new change to your bowel habit, pass blood in you poo or are losing weight unexpectedly, you should speak to one of our healthcare time by call the care navigators on 01728 723627.
Further information on the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer
Diabetes Prevention
Whilst type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, type 2 diabetes is largely preventable through lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight and exercise.
If you're at risk of Type 2 diabetes there are lots of small changes you can make to prevent diabetes from developing in the first place.
You can self-refer to the programme NHS diabetes prevention programme. We will contact you if your recent blood tests indictates you are at risk of diabetes. You will also be contacted if your blood test is normal but approaching the threshold for pre-diabetes.
Self-Referral for NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
High blood pressure (hypertension) does not usually cause any symptoms. High blood pressure increases your risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney disease.
It is important to ensure that you take any medication prescribed for high blood pressure. You should also
- reduce the amount of salt in your diet
- maintain a healthy weight
- reduce your alcohol intake
- stop smoking and
- exercise regularly
Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) enables patients with high blood pressure to measure and share their blood pressure readings with their GP from their home. There is alot of evidence to support the use of home blood pressure monitoring using a validated machine and it is encouraged by the NHS. It has been shown to:
- give a better reflection of blood pressure
- allow you to monitor your condition more easily in the long term
- reduce the incidence of heart attacks or stroke
Download a blood presure monitoring diary
Travel Immunisations
Our Practice Nurses can administer travel immunisations available on the NHS (Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Cholera), provided they are required for the country you are visiting.
Please look at NHS Fit for Travel or the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website to find out what immunisations are required for the country you are travelling to before booking your appointment.
Patients who are attending our travel clinic for the first time need to complete a 'Travel Health Risk Assessment Form. Please see our Travel Advice page for more information.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
You can self refer to pulmonary rehabilitation when:
- you have a diagnosed respiratory condition
- you experience breathlessness as part of your everyday life
- you are registered with a GP in Suffolk or North East Essex
- you are able to commit to a twice weekly course of education and exercise
Call 0333 0433 966 to self refer or go to www.physioselfrefer.co.uk/snee
Statin
Patient letter regarding statins.
