Diabetes Services

Routine care

The majority of people with diabetes are looked after by the practice diabetes team.

We like to see all people with diabetes twice a year, once during their annual health check and again 6 months later.

You will receive an invite for both the annual health check and the 6 month review. Both of the appointments will be a nurse and you will need to have a blood test before each appointment.

There are times when you will need to be seen more often than twice a year, for example after you are first diagnosed or if problems are detected during one of the routine reviews. We arrange these additional reviews as needed and may be a nurse or one of the Doctors.

Specialist care

If there is a particular problem identified with your diabetes care that we cannot help you within the practice, then we will refer you to a specialist service.

For the majority of specialist problems we use Leeds Community Healthcare diabetes service, though for some people we also refer to Wharfedale General Hospital or St. James’s.

Self help and support groups

There are 8,760 hours in a year and over a year you will only spend 2 to 3 hours receiving support and advice about your diabetes from professionals. The vast majority of care comes from ‘self care’.

We suggest that all people who develop diabetes should attend the self-management education programme, which is 6 hours of extra education offered to those with a new diagnosis of diabetes (your nurse will mention it).

There is also a local PEP Diabetes support group as we recognise people live with diabetes for years and so need on-going support and advice.

Flu

What is flu?

Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it is sometimes called seasonal flu. It is a very infectious disease that can come on very quickly. The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, cough, headache, pains in your joints and muscles and extreme tiredness. Healthy people usually recover within 3 to 4 weeks, but some people can develop serious life-threatening complications and need to be admitted to hospital.

Colds are much less serious and usually start with a stuffy or a runny nose, sore throat and cough.

How do we prevent the spread of flu?

Flu is unpredictable and there can be different strains of the virus. However, over the last ten years, the flu vaccine has generally been very good at targeting the circulating strains.
The flu vaccine is available every year on the NHS to help protect adults and children who are most at risk of flu and its complications.

Can I have a free flu vaccination on the NHS?

Flu can affect anyone but if you have a long-term health condition flu can make it worse, even if the condition is well managed and you normally feel well.

We provide flu vaccines if you are:

  • Aged 65 or over,
  • Pregnant,
  • Aged 2, 3 or 4 (by nasal spray),
  • Over six months of age and have one of the following conditions:
    • Chronic respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. Also, people with severe asthma who need to continuously or repeatedly use their inhaler, take steroid medication, or who have been admitted to hospital because of their asthma
    • Chronic heart disease, including heart failure, congenital heart disease, and heart disease caused by high blood pressure
    • Chronic kidney disease, such as kidney failure and people who have had a kidney transplant,
    • Chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis,
    • Chronic neurological diseases, such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis,
    • Diabetes
    • A suppressed immune system, due to disease or treatment. This includes people who have a damaged or no spleen, those people with HIV, people having chemotherapy or other immunosuppressant treatment, and those on high doses of steroid medication.
  • Very overweight with a BMI over 40.
  • Living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility (not including prisons, young offender institutions or university halls of residence),
  • Receive carer’s allowance or you are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill.

For more information please see the Department of Health Website.

Flu Clinic

Every autumn, around September, we start our flu clinics. We aim to vaccinate as many of those at risk, as indicated above.

You can book online if you are registered for online services, or call reception to make an appointment.

Keep an eye out under the news section of this website for when the clinics start.

Private Services

Some things are not covered by the NHS

Private Medical Services

You may have to pay a fee for certain services that are not covered by the NHS. These fees reflect the time it takes for the doctor to look at your medical records and some admin time.

Services include things like private health certificates, insurance claim forms, HGV/taxi medicals and some travel vaccinations.

This is our current list of Non NHS fees.

More information about why we charge can be found on the BMA website.

Private Medical Forms

There are also times when we are asked for information about a patient’s health, such as when you are applying for a mortgage or life insurance. We only do this with your permission and you have the right to see the report before it is sent. To avoid any delays, please make sure you sign the consent form that the company gives you.

Information for Carers

Information for carers and the help we provide.

Who is a carer?

Many carers are not known by their GP practice as there is confusion around how to define the term ‘carer’.

A carer is a person of any age (including children) who provides unpaid support to a partner, relative, friend or neighbour who couldn’t get by without their help. This could be due to old age, frailty, disability, a serious health condition, mental ill health or substance misuse. Parents of children who are disabled or who have a serious health condition are also considered to be carers.

It is estimated that 10% of patients are carers.

Improving carer identification

As a practice, we want to increase the number of people on our carers’ register so that we can look after you better. We do this by:

  • Asking patients with long-term conditions to name their carers
  • Running awareness-raising campaigns to get carers to tell us about their caring responsibilities

What we offer to improve healthcare for carers

  • Flu vaccination – most carers are eligible for a free flu vaccination to protect themselves and the person they care for
  • Regular health check appointments to help you keep fit and well
  • More flexible appointments
  • Carer support groups
  • Referrals to carers’ services for more specialised information, advice and support

Dedicated services for carers

If you care for someone and would like additional support then the following services may help

Bereavement

Online

For general advice about bereavement you might find the NHS article on bereavement useful.

If you are looking for advice about dealing with the practical aspects (such as legal issues) of someone dying then try the Bereavement Advice Centre.

In person

There are also several organisations and charities that provide specialist advice and support to those that have been bereaved:

Advocacy Services

Advocacy means helping another person to communicate their views and wishes.

GPs often act as advocates for patients when dealing with issues in the hospital or by making sure that their patients’ and/or families’ voices are heard when a decision is needed about their care.

Advocacy involves looking at choices together and helping patients to make decisions. It may be writing a letter of support or communicating on behalf of the patient.

When advocates who are not part of social services or the NHS are needed, they can be found in Leeds at:

Social Prescribing Service

The term ‘social prescribing’ is used to describe a service which supports people to access a range of non-medical services and activities in their local area.

Social prescribing can help people with different social, emotional or practical needs to find the right support and improve their health and wellbeing.

The service can help you:

  • Get support to improve your physical health.
  • Find employment or volunteering opportunities or learn a new skill.
  • Tackle money, housing, work or benefits issues.
  • Cope with a particular condition or difficulty.
  • Access ways of improving your emotional wellbeing such as befriending schemes, peer support or arts and leisure activities.

Our local service is run by Patient Empowerment Project (PEP).

To make an appointment please contact them on 0113 279 5870 or email pep@barca-leeds.org.

Maternity Services

The role of the midwife

A midwife is a qualified nurse who has undertaken further training to provide and promote normal midwifery.

They help you to prepare for motherhood and promote good health for yourself and your baby by advising on the effects of drinking, smoking and good diet whilst you are pregnant.

The midwife guides you through your pregnancy and endeavours to detect any problems and make relevant referrals if necessary.

First appointment with the midwife

If you are pregnant you do not need to see a GP in order to have your first appointment with the midwife.

You can arrange an appointment via the reception desk. This first appointment should be at about 9 weeks of pregnancy.
Due date calculator

The Midwife will discuss your options for delivery, arrange appropriate referrals and provide you with dietary advice.

She will also take blood tests and will subsequently discuss the results with you. Whilst you are pregnant and until your baby is one year old you are entitled to free prescriptions and dental treatment. The Midwife will organise for an exemption certificate to be signed and sent off.

During The Pregnancy

Your maternity book lists when you will be seen by the Midwife, Doctor and hospital through your pregnancy. Should you have any concerns at any other time you can contact your midwife or, if she is not available, make an appointment to see a Doctor during normal surgery hours.

At some point during the course of your pregnancy, the Health Visitor will meet you to talk to you about her role in your care and about the childhood vaccination programme.

After Your Birth

After delivery, your Midwife will visit you at home to help you and your baby. Following the birth, she will visit you on your first day at home. When your baby is five days old she will carry out the Guthrie test (which is a special screening test that the Midwife will give you information about) and at ten days old she will discharge you and your baby from her care. Extra visits may be arranged according to need.

Your Health Visitor will visit you at home when your baby is between 10 and 14 days old and can advise on feeding, weaning and any family issues you may have.

About 6 weeks after your birth you should make an appointment to see your doctor to discuss contraception and any concerns you have about your own health.

Breastfeeding

It takes time for you and your baby to learn how to breastfeed.

The NHS page on breast feeding might be useful.

Your midwife can also offer support and advice.

There are also a number of national services offering local support groups, which can be accessed via their websites:

Housebound & Older People

Clinical Care Co-ordinators

As you get older the range of problems you face can grow, to the point where it might be difficult to cope, know what to do for the best, or make it difficult for you to leave your house.

We have a small team of nurses at the practice who support older people with complex needs to sort out problems you can find yourself faced with.

The sorts of things they can help you with are:

  • Mobility issues
  • Memory problems
  • Loneliness and isolation
  • Housing issues
  • Practical issues such as help dressing and cleaning
  • Health issues

Their role is to help you understand the range of services available and support you in deciding the best course of action.

If you feel they could be of help then ask your doctor to put you in touch.

District Nurses

District Nurses carry out many roles for housebound patients, including:

  • General nursing procedures and investigations
  • Post-surgery care
  • Assessment of patients’ needs
  • Care for terminally ill patients
  • Loaning of equipment
  • Looking after wounds and leg ulcers
  • Educating patients about self-care

Referrals can be made by a Dr or nurse at the practice, patients themselves or by carers and family members.

Community Matron

Community matrons specialise in caring for older people, whether they live in their own home or a care home. They help patients manage their health problems and try to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital.

If a patient has to be admitted, they will communicate with the hospital team to ensure a smooth a discharge as possible.

Dementia services

It is very important that anyone who has problems with their memory has a proper assessment. If these problems are due to dementia then early diagnosis and referral have many benefits for the patient, their carer(s) and family. It can help them to plan and access the treatment and support they need and to improve their quality of life.

Please book with one of Dr’s who can make the initial assessment and refer you to the memory clinic if needs be.

Adult Social Care

Leeds city council help people aged over 18 to live as well as possible with their illness, disability or other problems. It can include help with things like washing, dressing, eating, getting out and about and keeping in touch with family and friends.

Adults who may need extra care and support include:

  • Older people
  • People with learning disabilities
  • People with physical disabilities
  • People with mental health problems
  • People with drug and/or alcohol issues
  • Carers

They offer a wide range of support and help and their adults and health page is a good place to start.

Or call them 0113 222 4401 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

This can be done by you, a family member, a friend.

If you have difficulty using the telephone please email them at feedback@leeds.gov.uk.

AVSED

Aireborough Voluntary Services to the Elderly (AVSED) is a charity working across Aireborough (including Yeadon, Rawdon and Guiseley; LS19 and LS20 postcodes)

Their aim is to prevent social isolation of local older people and help them live happy, healthy and independent lives.

Alcohol & Drug Services

Do I need help?

Take the alcohol test is an excellent online tool which helps you work out if you’re at risk of alcohol-related problems and some simple things you can do to reduce the risk.

Getting help

Forward Leeds

Forward Leeds has a wide range of services that support young people, adults and families in Leeds with alcohol and/or drug use.

It is the service that our Dr’s will refer you to if you need help, you can also self-refer to the service.

Here is the list of Forward Leeds services.

Or call them on 0113 8872477

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous is a national network of free self-help groups aimed at helping people recover from alcoholism.

Some people find them very useful and our Doctors often recommend them.

The best way of finding out about them and your closest group is at Alcoholics Anonymous.