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We offer a joint injection service at West Cheltenham Medical with Dr James Hunt and Chris Moule (MSK First Contact Practitioner).

Joint injections involve the injection of a steroid into painful or swollen joints when your GP feels that it is an appropriate ‘next step’ in your treatment. We are also able to use steroid injections to help manage other conditions such carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger and trochanteric bursitis.

Injections take as little as 5 minutes to administer and symptoms usually improve over the following 4 weeks.

Further information regarding steroid injections can be found here. 

Please note, the health care professional will only undertake an injection if it is clinically indicated as part of a package of care following assessment.

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These clinics are for our patients with long term (chronic) conditions and are run by our multi-skilled team of Health Care Assistants and Nurses.

 

Chronic diseases we manage include:

• Diabetes
• Pre Diabetes
• Asthma
• COPD
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Heart Disease
• Learning Disabilities

 

If you are diagnosed with a chronic condition, you will be included on a register and invited annually for a review.  This review maybe done virtually by remote monitoring, using emails, texts or video consultations, or with face-to-face consultations. You may find that you will be asked to provide information more regularly rather than to attend the surgery as often.

If you have more than one chronic disease,  we will try to manage all of your conditions in one appointment if possible.

 

Our aim is to:

• Educate and enable patients to manage their own health, where possible.
• To monitor and identify progression of a condition/s so that active steps can be taken to step treatment up or down.

 

For more information about a range of long-term conditions, please click here.

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What is an NHS Health Check?

The NHS health check is available to people aged 40-74 and looks for any early signs of problems that may contribute to an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or stroke. When identified early, these can be managed and your risk reduced.

 

Who can have an NHS Health Check?

Anyone aged between 40-74, without any of the following conditions, is eligible for an NHS Health Check:

• heart disease
• chronic kidney disease
• diabetes
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• atrial fibrillation
• previous transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
• inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia)
• heart failure
• peripheral arterial disease
• previous history of a stroke
• currently being prescribed statins to lower cholesterol
• previous checks have found that you have a 20% or higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years

We will usually send an invitation to our eligible patients, but please get in touch if you think that you are due for a check and have not been contacted.

 

What can I expect during my appointment?

During your NHS Health Check, you will be asked several questions about your lifestyle to see if anything could be improved.

Your height, weight and blood pressure will be measured and you will have a blood test to check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

The appointment lasts up-to 20-30 minutes and is led by one of our Nursing Team.

 

Why is the NHS Health Check important?

By identifying and potential problems early, you have the opportunity to fix them. The earlier these problems are resolved, the less time they have to contribute to increasing your overall risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke later in life.

For further information click here.

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Contraception

We are able to offer most forms of contraception at West Cheltenham Medical, including:

• Tablets
• Coils - both Interuterine Devices and Interuterine Systems
• Implants
• Injections

For further information regarding your options please click here, or speak to a GP.

 

Emergency Contraception

If you have had unprotected sex, forgotten your pill or the condom has split you may need emergency contraception. It is really important to access emergency contraception as soon as possible as it works best the sooner it is taken.

 

There are three types of emergency contraception:

• The IUD - a small, flexible contraceptive device fitted into the uterus. It is the most effective emergency contraceptive and is available from Sexual Health Services or the surgery
• Levonelle pill (morning after pill) can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. This is available from all the services named below
• Ella One, a pill taken five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Ella One is available from Sexual Health Services or your GP

The health professional you see will be able to advise you on the best option for you.

 

Free help is available from:

• A GP or one of our Sexual Health Nurses
• Any Sexual Health Clinic
• Accident and Emergency Departments
• Minor Injuries Units
• Your local pharmacy
• Out of Hours service
• School and college nurses

For information on how to access the sexual health service call 0300 421 6500 or click here for your closest clinic.

 

Termination of pregnancy

Termination of pregnancy can be arranged by contacting BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service). You can self-refer to this service by clicking here, or calling 0300 421 6532.

 

Sexually Transmitted Infections 

If you are concerned that you may have contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), or feel you have developed symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection, it is best to attend a Sexual Health Clinic.

To find out more, or to arrange a test, please click here or call  0300 421 6500.