Other Services Offered at the Practice
Minor Surgery
Our Doctors are able to perform minor surgical procedures at the surgery. You need to see the Doctor first to discuss this and then you will be offered an appointment to have the procedure carried out, provided the Doctor feels it is appropriate to be performed at the surgery. For other procedures, you may be referred to the hospital.
On the last Friday of each month, we hold a cryotherapy session for the treatment of warts and verrucae. You must discuss treatment of these areas with the Dr Murugiah prior to making an appointment in the wart clinic.
Referral to a Specialist
If the Doctor feels it necessary, you may be referred to a specialist Doctor at a clinic or hospital. The Doctor will send a letter to the specialist with the full details of your problem and an appointment will be made by the hospital or clinic for you to be seen. You will usually be notified of this in writing or by telephone.
If your problem does not warrant an urgent appointment with the specialist, you may have to wait a long time to be seen. The Practice can also refer you to be seen privately, if you prefer, to help you get an appointment more quickly. Please note that there is no additional charge by the Practice for referring you privately, but you will be charged by the specialist for his or her private fees (unless you have private medical insurance).
When you are seen by the specialist, all medical details are sent back to the Practice by letter so that the Doctor is fully aware of what treatment you will be given.
Smoking Cessation
Half of all smokers die prematurely of a smoking-related illness. Over 4 million smokers a year attempt to quit but only 3% of these actually succeed. Our Smoking Cessation Clinic on Thursday Afternoons, can help you increase this statistic.
At the clinic, we will offer you advice and support to help you quit along with any nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or medication, if necessary. We will invite you back for regular assessment to make sure you’re right on track in your attempts to quit.
INR Monitoring
Patients who are taking anticoagulant medication (such as Warfarin), will need regular blood tests to check how quickly the blood clots. These tests may be quite often at first, but should reduce in frequency quite quickly. The aim of the INR test is to get the dose of medication just right so that your blood does not clot as easily as normal, but not so much as to cause bleeding problems. At the INR Clinic, we will advise you on how often to take your medication and what to do if you accidentally miss a dose.
Mental Health
One in four people in the UK has a mental health problem at some stage in their lives, which can affect daily activities, relationships and even physical health. We offer support and treatment at our Mental Health Clinic and can help patients to cope with their illness. Patients undergo an initial assessment with a psychiatric nurse and then a care plan is put into place. Various treatments are available, such as medication, counselling, psychotherapy and self-help advice.
