Clinics & Services

Antenatal Care - routine antenatal check-ups by our qualified midwife on Thursday 09.00 - 16.30

Postnatal Care - Patients will be contacted by letter, with an appointment to attend surgery to see their GP, for a postnatal examination and baby’s first immunisations at eight weeks.

Well Woman and Family Planning

Please ask at reception for details.  It is for cervical smears, internal examinations, the fitting of coils and discussion of women’s health issues.

Child Health

A full immunisation service is available.  Please ask reception for details.

Vaccinations - routine and travel vaccinations (including malaria advice) for all ages are available during surgery times by appointment with our Practice Nurses.   

Influenza Vaccination

Influenza vaccination is recommended for patients with heart, lung, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, residents in nursing/ residential homes, carers, patients who are immunosuppressed, pregnant ladies and all patients over 65 years of age.  Please contact the reception staff in September for details.   For patients who are unable to attend the surgery a home visit by our nurses can be arranged. 

Asthma & COPD - regular check-ups and advice from practice nurses on lifestyle, inhaler techniques and medication are available during surgery time by appointment.

Diabetic Clinic - regular 6 monthly check-ups and advice from a practice nurse and annually from a GP on lifestyle, monitoring and medication. 

Cardiovascular Clinic - annual reviews of patients with coronary heart disease and/or stroke by practice nurses are available during surgery time by appointment.

Minor Surgery Clinic - minor surgery is carried out by Dr Ollerton by appointment.  Moles and other skin lesions can be removed under local anaesthetic after consultation with a GP or ANP. We also provide anti-inflammatory injections for painful joints (where appropriate). Available during surgery time by appointment. 

If you do not visit a dentist regularly and think you need an urgent appointment please ring NHS 111 service for advice and an appointment if this is considered appropriate.

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Travel Vaccinations

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.

There is further information about recommended vaccinations required for your destination on the link below:

https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/travel-vaccination-advice/

It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible - at least 8 weeks before you travel - as a second appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations. These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

NHS funded travel vaccinations are available from Skelmanthorpe Family Doctors. The only travel vaccines that are provided at no charge to patients are;

• Polio (given as a combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio jab)
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A
• Cholera

You will have to pay for travel vaccines that are not available free of charge on the NHS.

Travel Health Questionnaire

To help us offer the appropriate advice, please fill out the online form before coming to see the nurse.

Travel Questionnaire

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Non-NHS Services

Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:

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

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
 

Frequently asked questions

Why do GPs charge fees?  Isn't the NHS supposed to be free?

The NHS provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions, for example prescriptions charges, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged. This is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example medical reports for insurance companies, claim forms for referral to private care and other letters and forms which require the GP to review the patients medical record.

Surely the GP is paid anyway?

GPs are not employed by the NHS. They are self-employed and have to cover their costs - staff, buildings, heating, lighting etc - in the same way as any small business. The NHS pays the doctor for specific NHS work but for non- NHS work the fee has to cover the GPs costs.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The government's contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients. In recent years more and more organisations have been involving GPs in a whole range of non-medical work. Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are;

• certain travel vaccinations
• private medical insurance reports
• holiday cancellation claim forms
• referral for private care forms
• letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are;

• medical reports for an insurance company
• some reports from DSS/benefits agency
• examinations of local authority employees

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his/her patients. GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time.

I only need a GPs signature - what is the problem?

When a GP signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. Therefore, in order to complete even the most simplest of forms, the GP needs to check the patients entire medical record. Carelessness or inaccurate reports can have serious consequences for the GP.

Why do I need to pay up front?

In the past we have completed reports and forms before payment has been made, but sadly there has been many occasions when the GP has completed the work but the payment has not been made. Therefore fees must be paid in advance at the time of request for the letter or form to be completed is made or when the appointment for the medical is booked.

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Test Results

Results may be obtained by contacting Skelmanthorpe Family Doctors. 

For confidentiality these results will only be given to the person from whom tests are taken or the parents/guardians of that person unless otherwise requested.

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