Nurse Practitioner
We are very pleased to now have Claire Adams working with us as a Nurse Practitioner.
Claire specialises in minor illnesses and will see patients with a wide range of problems which fit into this category.
The partners have been aiming to provide this service for some time and are fortunate to be able to offer Claire"s expertise and experience to our patients.
Contraceptive Services
We provide a range of contraceptive and family planning services including advice for teenagers. In the first instance, please make an appointment with a Doctor. Follow-up care including repeat prescriptions is normally managed by the nursing team.
Cervical Cytology (Smears)
Women are invited to attend for screening by the Cervical Screening Wales Service. On receipt of the invite letter please phone:
Risca - Treatment room - 01633 619085
Cwm - 01495 200343
The nursing staff are responsible for carrying out cervical smear tests.
Cervical Screening Wales
Cervical Screening Wales (CSW) invites women aged between 20 and 64 who live in Wales for a test every 3 years. If you have had a hysterectomy or are over 65, you may not need to have the test and should ask your doctor or nurse for advice. All women who live in Wales receive their test results by post. They aim to provide you with your result within 4 to 6 weeks of the test being taken, but sometimes it takes a little longer. Regular cervical screening can prevent up to 90% of cancers developing, but like other screening tests it is not perfect. It does not always detect early cell changes that may lead to cancer.
If you have any unusal symptoms such as bleeding after sex or between periods, you should see your doctor, even if you have had a recent negative test.
Breast Screening
Breast screening looks for breast cancer before symptoms show. This involves x-rays (mammograms) of the breast. At least two x-rays of each breast are taken.
Breast cancer can affect any woman but is more common in women aged over 50. The risk of developing breast cancer is realted to age - the older you are the higher the risk. It affects 1 in 9 women in Wales at sometime in their lives. If we find breast cancer at an early stage, treatment has the greatest chance of being successful. The best way of screening for breast cancer is having regular mammograms, as you may not be able to see or feel early changes.
Breast screening is for women between 50 - 70 years of age and are automatically called for screening every 3 years. All eligible women should receive their first invitation before their 53rd birthday. Women over 70 are screened on request at intervals of no less than 3 years.
Most women will have normal results. About 1 in 20 women that are screened are called back for more tests. Most of these women will not have cancer.
Contact: South East Wales Breast screening centre, 18 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ. Tel: 02920397222.
Child HealthThe Well Baby Clinics and Immunisations are held on Monday afternoon at Risca Health Centre.
General advice from the Health Visitors can be obtained by telephoning 01633 619090.
Immunisations / Foreign Travel
Flu immunisation is offered every Autumn. Priority is given to patients over 65 and those at risk with Asthma, Diabetes, Heart or Kidney disease. The 'flu jab' needs to be repeated every year. Arrangements will be advertised prior to October every year.
For advice about other immunisations and foreign travel, please contact our Treatment room on 01633 619085.
Plan well in advance as some immunisation schedules take 6 to 8 weeks.
For some vaccinations you may need to attend a private travel clinic. Details will be given to you at your appointment with the nurse.
Hepatitis B Vaccination
This vaccination is usually required at the request of your employer if you are working in an at risk occupation e.g. nurses, doctors, dental nurses, dentists, sewage workers, etc. All NHS staff should use their own Occupational Health Service. The following options are available to employers outside the NHS.
It is the employer’s responsibility to arrange a suitable risk assessment and contact a provider of Occupational Services to arrange vaccination and appropriate blood tests. This is not NHS work and vaccination for occupational purposes is not offered as part of our routine NHS services.
However we do have a small private Occupational Health Service available at the practice run by Dr Susan Emerson and Julia Rees, Nurse Manager. If you wish to use this service your employer needs to write a letter requesting vaccination and agreeing to pay the appropriate fees (see below) or they may wish to contact an outside Occupational Health service themselves.
Cost of consultation with nurse, primary course of three vaccinations and post vaccination blood test: £110
Cost of consultation with nurse, booster vaccination and blood test: £ 35
If you are a foster parent you may also be asked by Social Services to be vaccinated. Please contact Julia Rees on 01633 619085 to discuss further.
Blood Clinics
Blood clinics are run as follows:
Risca Surgery - ring treatment room - 01633 619085
Monday 8:30 - 12:20 13:45 - 16.10
Tuesday 8:30 - 12:20 13:45 - 16:10
Wednesday 8:30 - 12:20
Thursday 9:00 - 12:20
Friday 8:30 - 12:20
Cwmfelinfach Surgery - ring reception - 01495 200343
Tuesday 8:30 - 12:20
CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT
CLINICS
Diabetic Clinic
Diabetic clinics at Risca Surgery are mainly held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where patients are seen by practice nurses with a special interest in diabetes. Patients are requested to have their bloods and urine sent to the laboratory 2 weeks before their clinic appointment so that the results are back in time. Medication reviews can be carried out at this appointment to update repeat prescriptions, so no doctor"s appointment is necessary unless the nurses are concerned. With regular checkups booked depending on patient results,they will become familiar with the nursing team.
We also have a podiatrist that runs a clinic alongside the diabetic clinic, in order for the annual diabetic foot checks to be carried out.
The retinal screening programme is also carried out at the surgery, for the annual diabetic eye test to be performed. Patients needing this service will be contacted by letter.
The above services are also available at our branch surgery in Cwmfelinfach, with the exception of the retinal screening programme,which is always based in Risca.
To book any of these clinics please ring the treatment room at Risca on 01633 69085.
Asthma
Asthma patients are required to be monitored in asthma clinic every 6 months. This is to ensure that patients are taking inhalers appropriately,and the dosage of medication. Patients are taught how to manage their asthma themselves with a management plan, so they are in control. The clinics are run by practice nurses who have a special interest in asthma. At the appointment, repeat prescriptions will be updated to last until the next appointment, which will be given according to the control of symptoms.
The clinics are run at Risca and Cwmfelinfach Surgeries over a number of days.
For an appointment please ring:
Risca Surgery 01633 619085
Cwmfelinfach Surgery 01495 200343
Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease
We run Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease clinics at both Risca and Cwmfelinfach Surgeries. The clinics are run by nurses with a special interest in Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease, and are run on a selection of days. The aims of these clinics are to give support, and advice about inhalers or symptoms that patients would like to discuss. At this appointment repeat prescriptions will be updated if there are no problems.
For an appointment please ring:
Risca Surgery 01633 619085
Cwmfelinfach Surgery 01495 200343.
Counselling
Counselling is "talking therapy". You can talk in confidence, without being judged, to someone who is trained to help and is not part of your everyday life. It gives you time to explore your thoughts and feelings about whatever is troubling you.
Counselling can help with a wide range of problems - from general feelings of dissatisfaction with life, to major life crises. These might include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, bereavement and other losses, family and relationship difficulties, problems at work, or worries about illness.
People often visit the doctor with physical symptoms caused by these kinds of stresses. Your doctor may feel that referring you to the counsellor might be more helpful than just giving you medication.
You will be given an appointment as soon as possible after seeing the doctor. If there is a significant waiting list your counsellor will let you know straight away.
As this is an adult service, the counsellor will usually see people over 18, but 16-18 year olds may be given appointments in certain circumstances.
Practice counsellors are qualified professionals employed by the Gwent Healthcare Trust as part of the Psychology Service. Our Practice Counsellor is Lyz Jones, although in certain circumstances you may be seen by a different member of the counselling team.