CERVICAL SCREENING – A 3 and 5 yearly computerised recall system is in operation.  Cervical screening, more commonly known as the smear test, is important as it is able to detect conditions, which could develop into cancer.  If these conditions are found in good time, treatment is usually straightforward and almost always effective.  Women aged 25 years to 50 years are invited for a smear test every three years;   women aged 50 to 65 years are invited every five years. 

CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION – The practice sisters manage and administer the childhood immunisation programme, in conjunction with the Child Health Department at Torbay Hospital.

TRAVEL CLINIC – The practice sisters run the in-house travel clinic, offering advice and relevant vaccination, for which a small administration fee is payable by the patient.

STOP SMOKING ADVICE – The practice has trained stop smoking counsellors who are able to advise and support patients wishing to give up smoking.

We also have specialised nurse led clinics dealing with patients with diabetes, coronary heart disease and asthma.  We are offering patients with these conditions and various other medical conditions an appointment at an Annual Review Clinic.  This appointment will review your condition, optimise treatment and discuss any other problems you may have.  This will save you time, allowing you to have just one appointment rather than the current system of several appointments spread throughout the year.

INFLUENZA VACCINATION CLINICS - These are run during October and November each year by our practice nurses. You require influenza vaccination if you are: 65 or over, have chest or heart trouble, are diabetic, have kidney disease, are taking certain medicines, have low immunity or have a long-standing disease. For a note of clinic times, please contact reception after the middle of September.

PNEUMOCCAL VACCINATION  - This one-off vaccination is recommended to all patients over the age of 65 and also for anyone who has chest or heart trouble, is diabetic, has kidney disease, have low immunity or long-standing disease.  You can have this injection at any time of year – just ask the practice nurse.

FAMILY PLANNING – All the doctors in the practice are trained to give pre-conceptual and family planning advice.

BREAST SCREENING - Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women. A new nationwide breast cancer screening programme is in operation and is run from specialised centres. This service is for the benefit of women aged over 50 as there has been little evidence to show that younger women benefit from routine screening. It means that all women aged between 50 and 64 will be invited for initial breast screening (mammography) and every three years thereafter. Women over 64 will be entitled to the service every three years on request. Your doctor can advise you, or your local health authority will give you details of services in your area.

MINOR OPERATIONS – If you require minor surgery, your doctor may be able to carry this out for you either in the surgery or at Dawlish Community Hospital.  Your details will be passed to the doctor’s secretary who will contact you with an appointment.

MATERNITY CARE – Your doctor will oversee your maternity care, in conjunction with Estuary Team Midwives based at Teignmouth Hospital.  The midwifery team can be contacted on 01626 770086 or through their bleep system (07693 957182) and their clinics are held at the Barton Surgery on Tuesday afternoon and Friday morning and are by appointment only.  The midwives are responsible for ante-natal care and until the baby is ten days old.  Individual doctors carry out their ante-natal care during normal surgery times.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT -  The doctors in the practice carry out routine checks on babies at 6 weeks.  All further checks are undertaken by the Health Visitors, who are based at Dawlish Community Hospital and they can be contacted on 01626 868500.  Baby clinics run by the Health Visitors are held at Dawlish Community Hospital on Wednesday afternoon (2.00pm – 4.00pm) and Thursday morning.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES – We are fortunate to have our own in-house psychiatric nurse.  Peter Kaye is here to provide support to the GPs with patients who are suffering emotionally or psychologically.  This service is available to patients referred by their doctor.

HEALTH PROMOTION NURSE FOR THE ELDERLY – Carol Kaye works with the doctors to provide a service to elderly patients.  She provides health monitoring and health promotion advice for frail elderly patients and visits them in their homes to assess them and to discuss any problems they may have.

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION – This can be supplied by arranging an appointment with a doctor.  In addition, certain pharmacists in the area are trained to assess and, if indicated, provide Emergency Hormonal Contraception to young women, free of charge.  These trained pharmacists are:

Susan Mullins, Shaldon Pharmacy               

Emma Batten, Numark, Teignmouth           

Louise Rosser/Simon Rosser, Buckland Pharmacy

Martin Franklin, Maunders Pharmacy, Teignmouth

OTHER SERVICES – The Surgery also offers sessions for retinal screening of diabetics and screening for aortic aneurysms, in conjunction with South Devon Healthcare Trust.  The practice and hospital host out patient clinics on a regular basis, covering specialties such as urology, paediatrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics, respiratory medicine.  All these screening and out patient clinics are not direct access clinics, and require a doctor’s referral.  The Drug and Alcohol Team also make use of our facilities.

PATIENT CHOICE - If you and your GP decide that you need to see a specialist for further treatment, you can now choose where to have you treatment from a list of hospitals or clinics. If you wish to find out more, pick up the leaflet 'Choosing your Hospital' or look on the website www.nhs.uk