If you have a repeat prescription, we may need to carry out regular medication reviews and/or blood tests. We will be in touch when you need this so that you can arrange the appropriate review.
Some medication requires periodic monitoring (e.g. blood tests, blood pressure) to ensure it’s safe for us to prescribe it to you. It is important to take responsibility for your own treatment and care. Failure to complete your review or monitoring may mean we will have to prescribe you a reduced quantity of your medication.
Childhood immunisation programme for parents/guardians
Routine vaccinations in the first year of life at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, one year and beyond provide important lifesaving protection from infectious diseases. Please watch the 3 short videos below to learn more. If you have missed any vaccinations, you can check your Redbook or visit NHS.UK/vaccinations
Baby 8-week check
When your baby is approaching eight weeks old you will be invited for an appointment at the Practice. This is to check your post-natal recovery and the development, health and growth of your baby. We will also offer your child’s first immunisations at this appointment.
The rest of your child’s vaccinations will follow the government’s UK vaccination schedule and you will be invited to make an appointment for these.
Baby & Childhood Immunisations
Meon Health Practice delivers the immunisation programme for children under school age. All new born babies and children will be invited to their vaccinations as they become due. Please book your appointment when you have received your invitation.
If your child missed their immunisation in school, is home educated, needs to catch up with their immunisations for any reason, please contact us.
You can check your child’s vaccination status via the NHS App or Patient Accessaccount if you have access to their medical online medical records. Alternatively, you can call 01329 845777 or come into the surgery to request this.
Parents can often feel nervous about taking their baby for immunisations. Please rest assured immunising children is one of the safest ways of protecting them from threats to their life or long term health from preventable diseases. See information on why vaccinations are safe and important.
Health Visitors
Health visitors are advisors on child care and work closely with our doctor and nurse teams. The health visiting team will be notified of the birth of your baby. They may visit after birth and will be in contact with you throughout your child’s early years.
Prostate problems are common, particularly in men aged over 50. The prostate is a small gland which surrounds the tube that carries urine out of the body (urethra). The prostate gland is about the size and shape of a walnut but tends to get bigger as you get older. It can sometimes become swollen or enlarged by conditions such as:
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 – 45 years. However, it is also 96% curable when detected early, so don’t be embarrassed to contact us if you are concerned.
Testicular cancer usually only affects one testicle, but it can affect both.
Symptoms of testicular cancer include:
a lump or swelling in your testicle
your testicle getting bigger
an ache or pain in your testicle or scrotum (the skin that covers the testicles)
your scrotum feeling heavy, firm or hard
These symptoms are very common and can be caused by many different conditions. Having them does not definitely mean you have testicular cancer.
Check your balls!
It’s important to check your testicles regularly so you know what’s normal for you. This makes it easier to notice any changes in the size, look or feel of your testicles.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is a way of checking if there’s a bulge or swelling in the aorta, the main blood vessel that runs from your heart down through your tummy. This bulge or swelling is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm, or AAA.
It can be serious if it’s not spotted early on because it could get bigger and eventually burst (rupture). In England, screening for AAA is offered to men during the year they turn 65.
We all need support sometimes. Have a look at the services our own Practice Wellbeing Team can offer.
If you are in a mental health crisis, or know someone who is, then please look at our Mental Health Support Services page.
AndysManClub – Fareham
Andy’s Man Club are talking groups for men to help you through difficulties you may be experiencing. Meeting are held all over the nation on Monday evenings, excluding bank holidays and are free of charge. No booking is required.
Locally meetings are held at Fareham Social Club, 8 Mill Rd, Fareham PO16 0TN Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7pm start.
This group aims to help and encourage members to maintain their health and wellbeing, to make new friends, and enjoy working together on a range of projects. They provide a workshop and social centre for retired men over 55.
including cervical screening (smear test), maternity services, menopause support.
Cervical screening (smear test)
Cervical screening tests are available to patients who have received an invitation. You can book online via NHS App or Patient Accessaccount. Alternatively, you can call 01329 845777 or come into the surgery to arrange your appointment.
You will receive a letter in the post inviting you to make an appointment. We strongly recommend you do make the appointment to help ensure you do not develop cervical cancer. We offer appointment slots available at various times of the day.
Non-urgent advice: Please note
A cervical screening cannot be completed if you are having a period as it is not possible to take a sample of cells without contamination.
Your first invitation for a cervical smear will be sent when you are aged 25 years. After that, you will be invited for regular checks every 3 years until you are 50 years then every 5 years until you reach the age of 65 years.
About the test
Cells will be removed from your cervix from the neck of the womb with a little plastic brush by one of our experienced nurses. Your appointment will be for 15 minutes but the procedure itself takes only a few minutes. The cells will then be carefully examined to check for early changes which could potentially develop into cancer cells. You may then be offered some treatment to stop you getting cancer.
If you want to start or change to a new contraceptive pill or injection, you will need to contact us for a consultation. If our healthcare professional agrees this type of contraception is suitable, you will be supplied with a prescription for one year’s worth of medication.
Towards the end of the year, you can request a further prescription. You will need to submit an up-to-date blood pressure reading before requesting this.
Implants and coils
We have trained healthcare professional who are licensed to insert contraceptive coils and implants. There may be a waiting list for this service. If this is something you wish to discuss, please contact us to request a consultation.
After you submit this form, the hospital will review your information and contact you to arrange your antenatal care. The maternity service will notify us that you are pregnant. There is no need for you to contact us unless you are worried about the pregnancy.
The midwives provide antenatal clinics at a variety of sites in the local area. They monitor progress and offer help and advice on all aspects of pregnancy, delivery and postnatal care. They will also advise you on necessary pregnancy vaccinations such as whooping cough (pertussis).
Once you have had your baby, please register them as a patient at the practice and we will invite you and your baby for a post-natal check at the Practice at 8 weeks.
Unplanned pregnancy
If you discover that you have a pregnancy that you feel you are unable to continue with, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) are able to support you to make a decision that is right for you. You can book an appointment for a consultation and medical assessment for abortion treatment by calling 03457 30 40 30 or by visiting their website at www.bpas.org.
Menopause support
The menopause is a natural part of ageing that occurs as a women’s oestrogen levels decline and pregnancy is no longer possible due to lack of menstrual cycle. If you would like to consider hormone replacement therapy, please contact us to request a consultation.
for conditions such as asthma, diabetes, COPD and hypertension (high-blood pressure).
If you have a long term (chronic) condition we will hold your details on a register. We use this to contact you annually to carry out a review of your condition.
Annual reviews
We will contact you by letter or text message for your annual review, usually in your birthday month. For some long-term conditions including COPD, asthma and hypertension we will ask you to complete a form to initially assess your condition. We will send this to you.
Diabetes reviews
Patients who have diabetes will be offered a face-to-face appointment for their assessment and this will be followed by a telephone consultation with our diabetic team.
Memory clinic
For patients with conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, etc
Patients diagnosed with memory impairment including dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease are invited for an annual review. Read more about these clinics here.
Interim reviews
If your condition needs closer monitoring, our nursing team may want to see you more frequently. Similarly, if you feel your condition is not well controlled you can contact us for a consultation.
Minor Surgery & Joint Injections
Some of our GPs run dedicated clinics for small-scale surgical interventions and procedures, including joint injections. Examples of minor surgery might include removal of a cyst or benign skin lump, or joint injections in a knee or shoulder to relieve pain.
Classed as minor surgery, these procedures are minimally invasive and require only a local anaesthetic, with associated excellent recovery times.
You may be offered an appointment at one of our three surgeries.
Physiotherapy and Musculoskeletal (MSK) clinics
For bones, joints, and muscle care including arthritis and back pain.
If you suffer with joint pains, back pain, acute musculoskeletal injury, whiplash or any similar musculoskeletal condition, we may offer you an appointment with our Musculoskeletal (MSK) practitioners.
Our MSK practitioners specialise in treating patients with conditions that can affect joints, bones, muscles, and nerves, and are often better equipped to assess patients with these specific conditions and or symptoms than our General Practitioners (GPs).
For each new consultation with our internal MSK practitioners, we will almost always arrange for you to be consulted with a telephone assessment in the first instance.
Please note, all calls are recorded & may show up as private, withheld or unknown numbers.
Following this initial telephone consultation, our MSK Team will decide if further assessments, such as face-to-face appointments are needed, or provide further advice and guidance from this telephone consultation.
Our MSK practitioners are able to assess, diagnose and treat most common musculoskeletal conditions such as back and joint pains and traumatic soft tissue injuries. They are able to request and interpret appropriate investigations, and if needed can refer to secondary care for a specialist opinion.
Our practice nursing team, together with Health Care Assistants and Phlebotomists, work closely with our clinicians. They are trained to do an extensive number of procedures and tests.
The nursing team provide preventative care and monitoring and management of long term conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, COPD, asthma.
You can request a nursing appointment for any of the following:
Our Healthcare Assistants offer preventative care with:
monitoring long-term conditions
NHS health checks
blood pressure checks
removal of stitches (sutures) and staples
ECG (electrocardiogram) tests
weight management/dietary advice
smoking cessation advice
If you feel you need a nursing appointment, please contact us.
We also work very closely with our community teams of midwives, health visitors and district nurses:
Midwives The midwives provide antenatal clinics at a variety of sites in the local area. They monitor progress and offer help and advice on all aspects of pregnancy, delivery and postnatal care.
After you submit this form, the hospital will review your information and contact you to arrange your antenatal care. The maternity service will notify us that you are pregnant. There is no need for you to contact us unless you are worried about the pregnancy.
Health Visitors Health visitors are advisors on child care and work closely with our doctor and nurse teams. The health visiting team will be notified of the birth of your baby. They may visit after birth and will be in contact with you throughout your child’s early years.
Community Nurses Community nurses provide skilled nursing care for housebound patients living in the community.
School Nursing Team The School Nursing service works in partnership with children, young people and their families to ensure that pupil’s health needs are supported within their school and their community.
Telephone: 01489 554992 Website: www.hampshirehealthyfamilies.org.uk Parents and young people can also get support and advice by texting their ChatHealth on 07507 332417.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
We may ask you to monitor your own blood pressure over a number of days and send your readings to us to review. You can do this either online or by using our SurgeryPod machines.
Blood pressure is the force by which blood is pumped from your heart and circulates through the arteries around your body. High and low blood pressure are two common conditions that can impact on your overall health.
Submit your blood pressure readings online
Use a home blood pressure monitor kit to take your readings following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Make a note of your readings for each of the days/times our healthcare professional has requested.
Many retailers sell these kits such as the British Heart Foundation; online retailers (for example, Amazon); or your local pharmacy or supermarket.
Or use our SurgeryPod machine to take your blood pressure
Blood Pressure reading via SurgeryPod
We have several SurgeryPods machines available for patients to use without the need for an appointment. The SurgeryPod is connected to a computer and can accurately take readings such as blood pressure and weight measurements. Your results are automatically saved to your health record. SurgeryPods are easy to use and available during our opening hours.
A blood pressure test measures the pressures in your arteries as the heart pumps. Your blood pressure is recorded in two numbers:
Systolic pressure (the top number): the pressure when your heart pushes blood out
Diastolic pressure (the bottom number): the pressure when your heart rests between beats.
For example, if your blood pressure is “140 over 90” (140/90mmHg), it means you have a systolic pressure of 140mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 90mmHg.
As a general guide:
ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher
low blood pressure is considered to be below 90/60mmHg
However, blood pressure levels can vary.
High blood pressure is also known as hypertension
High blood pressure can increase your risk of serious health issues such as heart disease and stroke.
Low blood pressure is also known as hypotension
Low blood pressure occurs when the force of blood flow through your arteries is lower than normal. This can cause symptoms such as dizziness and fainting.
A blood test is a common and essential medical procedure in which a sample of blood is collected for analysis in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and provide valuable insights into your health.
During a blood test, a skilled healthcare professional called a Phlebotomist will carefully collect a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. The most common site for blood collection is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface.
For patients aged 16 years and over
You must be invited to book a blood test. You can book a blood test with one of our phlebotomists if we or the hospital have requested you to have one. We are unable to take a blood sample if this has not been requested by a clinician. If the hospital has asked you to get a blood test done with us, please make sure they have given you a form for this so that we do the right tests.
If you feel you might need a blood test, please contact us for a consultation. You should explain your symptoms and the test you would like done. One of our healthcare professionals will review your request and generate the required blood test form if appropriate.
Your required blood test can then be booked online via the NHS App or Patient Accessaccount. Alternatively, you can call 01329 845777 or come into the surgery to request this.
For children and young people aged under 16 years
We are unable to provide blood tests for children. Patients under the age of 16 need to arrange a blood test appointment at the hospital. If this is requested by us we will provide you details of how to book a blood test appointment for a child. If the hospital has requested the blood test, please contact them directly to arrange the appointment.
Blood Test Results
We will contact you only if we need to discuss the results of your test with you.
If you want to check your results, you can view these via the NHS App or Patient Access account. Alternatively, call 01329 845777 Monday – Friday after 2pm.
Please ensure you wait 5 working days before getting in touch to give enough time for your results to come through to us. If results are available sooner, they will be visible in your NHS App or Patient Access account.
