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Go to - Antenatal    Smear tests    Contraception    HRT    Mammograms

Antenatal

All our GPs offer antenatal and maternity care in conjunction with the hospital consultant and midwife. We liaise with Maternity Units in both Torbay and Exeter hospitals.

The midwife will generally be your first point of contact. Where possible, your own midwife will deliver your baby as well as give you most of your antenatal care.

If you think you are pregnant, please confirm this with a pregnancy test -

  • Buy one at the chemist (they are just as good as ours), or -
  • If you provide an early morning urine sample, the receptionist will arrange the test.

If it is positive, congratulations! Make an appointment to see the midwife or see the GP.

If your baby is born at home, your GP will  visit you at home to examine you and your baby.

Please make an appointment with the doctor at 6 weeks after the birth for-

See also the midwifes page.

Smear Tests

Cervical Smears are taken by our Practice Nurses unless you request otherwise. Our policy is to test every woman aged 20 to 64 every three years by invitation (unless the cytologist or consultant recommends repeating the smear more often).  Please book when you are mid-cycle.

If you have just had a baby and you are due for a smear,  we suggest leaving it 3months.

Smear test results will be sent to you directly by the Health Authority.

Contraception

Our Doctors and Nurses are pleased to discuss all methods of family planning in normal surgery times and we can offer a full range of methods including -

  • The Pill - Combined and Progestogen only (Mini Pill)
  • Progestogen Depot Injection (Depot Provera)
  • The Morning after Pill
  • The Cap
  • The Coil
  • Natural methods

This service is strictly confidential and available to all age groups. The morning after pill is prescribed where appropriate but you need to seek advice within 72 hours.

All patients receiving contraceptive care should see nurse annually for a check. This includes assessment of satisfaction with the method, side effects, blood pressure and weight and lifestyle advice.

Hormone Replacement Treatment

Each menopausal woman needs to decide for herself if HRT is the right thing for her. We can help with advice and leaflets. If you wish to consider HRT, please book with nurse or doctor to discuss.

Generally speaking the following factors might lead to a recommendation to go on HRT:

  • Hot flushes
  • Family or personal history of osteoporosis or easy fractures
  • Menopause at a young age
  • Thin women
  • Smokers

If you decide to take it, we suggest staying on for 5-10 years.

All patients receiving HRT should see nurse annually for a check. This includes assessment of satisfaction with the method, side effects, blood pressure and weight and lifestyle advice.

Mammograms

  • Routine mammograms  The national mammogram programme calls all women aged 50-64, every 3 years. We are not directly involved with the call procedure for this. As long as you are locally registered, you should receive an invitation when it is due. If you are new to the area, ring 01803 655350 to make sure you are on the register.
  • Breast lumps  GPs are unable to book mammograms direct. We can only do this by referring a patient to a consultant surgeon on suspicion of breast cancer. If we are seriously concerned about the risk of breast cancer, we guarantee that the patient will be seen at the hospital within 2 weeks.

 

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Send mail to enquires.channelview@nhs.net ONLY for general correspondence.  For repeat prescriptions
                                                                                                      use the links on the Repeat Prescriptions page.
 Last modified: September 28, 2005