If you think you are pregnant please carry out a pregnancy test as soon as possible. Please contact the Practice where we will then arrange an appointment to see the midwife as soon as possible for further antenatal care.

Antenatal Clinics are held at the practice in conjunction with the community midwives. Clinics are currently on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

The midwives provide specialist maternity support and care to women during their pregnancy and delivery and for up to four weeks after delivery.

The practice team are here to support you during your pregnancy.

Please visit the Baby Centre here for further support or information.

Click here for more information about what a carer is.

Click here to be directed to the Carers Trust website.

Click here for advice on any financial support you maybe entitled to.

The following link provides information for local services within Wolverhampton for carers.

Click here for local carer support information within Wolverhampton.

There is also a folder in the waiting room at Tudor Medical Centre containing information if you do not have access to the internet or telephone, so please pop in and take a look.

Appointments are with a trained practice nurse who will provide help with the care of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. They can provide education, monitoring, preventative measures, drugs and general management of the illness.

You will be monitored annually or more frequently if required.

Where needed the practice nurse will liaise with a clinician to ensure your respiratory condition is controlled well.

You may find the following link helpful regarding how to use your respiratory inhaler

Click here for videos on how to use inhalers on the Asthma UK website

Baby Clinics are held every Tuesday Morning. We have a specialised team comprising of a General Practitioner, Practice Nurse, Health Visitor and Receptionists who run the baby clinic.

The clinic is a Drop in Service between the hours of 10.00-12.00.

Practice Nurses will arrange and give your child their immunisations.

The health visitors are available at each session for health advice and information and also to weigh and monitor your child’s development. Currently they are situated at Bilston Health Centre.

A General Practitioner is available for any medical concerns or if your baby is due their 6 week baby check.

For the latest recommended schedule on childhood immunisation click here

Current guidelines recommend that all people aged 40 or more should have a routine cardiovascular risk assessment.

A ‘risk factor calculator’ is commonly used by doctors and nurses to assess the risk of you developing a cardiovascular disease such as

• Heart attack
• Angina
• Stroke
• Peripheral vascular disease.

Treatment is recommended if you have a risk score greater than 10% (This reduced in 2014 from 20% following National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidance). This maybe through lifestyle modification, dietary change or use of medications.

All patients over 40 will gradually be invited in writing to attend for a cardiovascular risk assessment. If you have not received an invitation and would like this carried out please contact our reception.

A cervical screening test (previously known as a smear test) is a method of detecting abnormal cells on the cervix. The cervix is the entrance to the womb from the vagina. Detecting and removing abnormal cervical cells can prevent cervical cancer.

Cervical screening is not a test for cervical cancer. It merely detects women at a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.

Women should normally be invited for cervical screening at the following times:

• Starts at 25 years of age, you will receive your first invitation for screening after 24 and 1/2 years of age
• Between 25 to 49 years old, screening is every three years
• Between 50 to 64 years old, screening is every five years
• Over 65 years of age you are only screened if you have not been screened since you were 50 or if you have had a recent abnormal test result.

We prefer to undertake these tests ourselves and these can be carried out by a female Practice Nurse.

Please inform the receptionist when you are making your appointment that you wish to have a smear test.

All women eligible for a smear will receive an invite when their smear is due.

Click Here to See a Why, When & How Guide to Cervical Screening

We are totally committed to a policy of full immunisations for all children. It is important that your child is fully immunised against childhood illnesses.

Invitations will be sent via the Gem Centre to the parents of all children in the practice when they are due for immunisations.

If it is difficult for you to attend the surgery at the clinic times please let us know and an alternative appointment can be made for you.

If you baby is unwell on the day of their appointment it is wide to reschedule the appointment when they are back to full health.

When immunising a child either written or verbal consent must be given by the person with parental responsibility. The decision to immunise must be taken by the person with parental responsibility, however, the parents can arrange for someone else (e.g. grandparent) to bring the child, but written parental consent is required on every occasion they attend for immunisation. The person giving the immunisation must be satisfied that parental consent has been obtained at each visit. If in doubt, the vaccination will be postponed

Click here for information on the possible side effects following immunisation and managing these

Click here for the latest recommended schedule on childhood immunisations

There are so many different types of contraception available that you should be able to find the right method. You may have to try several different things before you choose the one you like most.

General advice about contraception and the contraceptive pill can be provided by one of the practice nurses or doctors.

Patients can arrange to have the Long Acting Reproductive Contraception (LARC) such as the IUD (Copper Coil), IUS (Mirena Coil) or Nexplanon (Implant), if they desire. Please ask at reception or a clinician concerning this.

LARCs are fitted by a female Doctor.

The morning after pill is also available from a clinician following an assessment and suitability.

Useful Resources

NetDoctor
A Family Planning specialist writes about the different types of contraception, the benefits and pitfalls and how effective they are

Contraception – NHS Choices
Information on Contraception from NHS Choices including why, when and how it should be used and with links to other useful resources.

All of our practice nurses have a specialist interest and qualifications in diabetic care. The practice aims to see all its diabetic patients on a regular basis to assess their ongoing treatment and support.

If you are a newly diagnosed diabetic then you will be offered an extended appointment with a nurse where you will be educated around diabetes and offered support and treatment. Locally there are short educational courses which will be offered to you.

You will be seen on a frequent basis until your diabetes is well controlled and you feel comfortable and happy managing it. After this you will revert to annual reviews.

During your annual review you will undergo blood tests, urine test and a foot check followed by a review with a nurse to discuss the test results and agree a management plan until the next review. They will provide you with education and discuss any concerns you may have with your diabetes.

One size never fits all! So if you have any concerns or are struggling with your diabetes please book an appointment to consult the Practice Nurse

If needed the Nurse may choose to liaise with a clinician to ensure you are receiving the best treatment. In some instances it may be necessary for you to be seen at the Diabetes Centre at New Cross Hospital.

Flu vaccination by injection, commonly known as the “flu jab” is available every year on the NHS to protect adults (and some children) at risk of flu and its complications.

Our flu clinics tend to start early October. Eligible patients will receive a letter inviting them to attend a drop in clinic.

Flu can be unpleasant, but if you are otherwise healthy it will usually clear up on its own within a week.

However, flu can be more severe in certain people and cause complications, such as:

• anyone over the age of 65
• pregnant women
• children and adults with an underlying health condition (particularly long-term heart or respiratory disease)
• children and adults with weakened immune systems

The flu vaccine is only given free on the NHS as an annual injection to:

• adults over the age of 18 at risk of flu (including everyone over 65)
• children aged six months to two years at risk of flu

The flu jab does work and will help prevent you getting the flu. It won’t stop all infections and its not a 100% guarantee that you’ll be flu-free.

People who get the flu despite being immunised tend to experience milder and shorter lived symptoms

Nasal Flu Vaccination:

The flu vaccine is given as an annual nasal spray to:

• children aged two to 17 years at a particular risk of flu
• healthy children aged two, three and four years old

Further Resources from NHS Choices:

Read more about who should have the flu jab.

Read more about the flu nasal spray for children.

Read more about how the flu jab works.

Read more about the side effects of the flu jab.

Read more about this vaccine recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Patient who are diagnosed as having hypertension (persistently raised blood pressure) will be initially assessed and treated by the General Practitioner.

Approximately 1/3 of the population have elevated blood pressure and a significant proportion of this 1/3 is unaware of it. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to damage to the heart, kidneys, brain and other organs.

For this reason is it wise to have your blood pressure checked occasionally particularly if you have not had it tested for many years. All adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.

Diagnosis is often based on multiple blood pressure results and patients may be asked to undergo a 24 hour blood pressure monitoring test (Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring or ABPM).

Treatment may include lifestyle advice, dietary advice or with medications.

All hypertensive patients will be recalled annually for a detailed review and again every six months for a routine blood pressure review.

Certain blood pressure medications will require regular blood testing which the Nurse will advise you of.

Click here to see a video about Hypertension on NHS Choices

Many minor ailments e.g. cough, cold, runny nose, sore throat, hayfever etc can be treated at home with the help of the Minor Ailments Scheme operated by the pharmacists in the Wolverhampton locality.

Your local pharmacist can give you the professional advice about how to treat all sorts of everyday ailments without having to make an appointment with your doctor or nurse.

Your local pharmacy can answer your questions about medications, suggest remedies that are available without prescription and can advise you if they think that you need to see a GP.

Click here to read more about how your local pharmacy may be able to assist you in treating minor illnesses that do not require a Doctor.

The practice provides minor surgery clinics for various problems. Some of these are as follows:

1. – Sebaceous and Epidermal Cysts
2. – Lipomas
3. – Intradermal Naevi
4. – Dermatofibromas
5. – Papillomas / Warts
6. – Benign Cystic Skin Lesions
7. – Nail excision/avulsion for Ingrowing Toe Nails
8. – Skin Tags

Your doctor will be able advise you if a procedure is appropriate often depending on the type of lesion, size and position.

The Minor Surgery Clinic is at specific times. Patients must have been seen by a General Practitioner and referred to this clinic.

If you have something that cannot be removed at the surgery and requires removal as per local guidelines this will be arranged for you.

Both men and women need to look after their sexual health and take time to understand the issues that surround contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

For instance there are some STIs, like chlamydia, that you could be carrying without having any symptoms. This infection can affect fertility, so it’s important to make use of the sexual health services available for free on the NHS.

Useful Resources:

Sex & Young People
A comprehensive guide to the questions you may have about sex from the NHS

Sexually Transmitted Infections
Issues, symptoms and treatments

Sexual Health FAQs
Expert answers from a qualified Doctor

Netdoctor
Here you’ll find tips for a fulfilling sex life plus advice on STDs, contraception and common sex problems.

FPA – The Sexual Health Charity
Sexual health advice and information on contraception, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy choices, abortion and planning a pregnancy.

People that would like help to stop smoking can book in with suitably trained Nurse or Health Care Assistant who can guide them through a tailor made smoking cessation programme.

The NHS have also produced “Smokefree”, a dedicated service to inform everyone of the dangers of smoking, the benefits to giving up and how they can help you kick the habit.

QUIT is the independent charity whose aim is to save lives by helping smokers to stop. Smokers wanting to QUIT should call 0800 00 22 00 or email stopsmoking@quit.org.uk for free, individual, same-day advice from trained counsellors

Please book your appointment at reception to get help with quitting smoking.

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need initially complete a Travel Form which can be obtained from reception. This form will request your details, date of travel and destination. One form will need completing per person travelling including children. This form then needs to be returned to the surgery by post or in person.

This form needs completing at least 6 weeks before travelling to ensure enough time to organise your vaccinations.The reason we require at least 6 weeks before you travel is because sometimes a second appointment may be required to receive further vaccinations. Some vaccines may have to be ordered as they are not kept in stock and some vaccines may incur a charge. Finally some vaccinations take time to build up the adequate immunity needed. For this reason vaccinations should be issued at least 2 weeks before the date of travel.

A Practice Nurse will then review your completed form. They will compare the details to an up to date database of required vaccinations based on destination and cross check this with your past vaccination history.

If any vaccinations are required then the Practice Nurse will arrange for you to come in and order whatever is required.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required at the following endorsed websites:

Click here for NaTHNaC for Travellers

Click here for Fit For Travel

Breast screening is a method of detecting breast cancer at a very early stage. The first step involves an x-ray of each breast – a mammogram – which is taken while carefully compressing the breast. Most women find it a bit uncomfortable and a few find it painful. The mammogram can detect small changes in breast tissue which may indicate cancers which are too small to be felt either by the woman herself or by a doctor.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme provides free breast screening every three years for all women aged 50 and over. Because the programme is a rolling one which invites women from GP practices in turn, not every woman receives an invitation as soon as she is 50. But she will receive her first invitation before her 53rd birthday. Once women reach the upper age limit for routine invitations for breast screening, they are encouraged to make their own appointment.

The programme is now phasing in an extension of the age range of women eligible for breast screening to those aged 47 to 73. This started in 2010 and is expected to be complete by 2016.

Please click here for more information on breast screening including educational videos produced by the NHS Breast Screening Programme part of Public Health England.