Patients with long-term conditions which are reviewed annually at the practice, or who take medication which requires regular monitoring, will receive invitations (via text and/or email) to book these appointments online without having to call the surgery.

Patients who have annual reviews will receive invitations the month before the month of their birth; patients who require regular monitoring will receive invitations two weeks before their monitoring is due.

If you are unable to use links to book your appointments, please call the practice on 01344 421364 (choose option 3) and we will be happy to book for you over the phone.

To help us with this process, please update your contact details with the practice. This can be done here – Change of Contact Details – Forest Health Group.

Forest Health want to ensure that we make the best use of our clinical staff, allowing them to provide the most appropriate care to those most in need of it. For the vast majority of patients, attending an appointment at the practice is the best option for them and best for other patients at the practice as well.

You may think that a home visit by a GP is best for patient care. However, while home visits are convenient for the patient, they can offer a poorer standard of care compared to surgery consultations because of:

• Inadequate facilities – eg. soft beds, poor lighting, lack of privacy.
• Delayed availability of patient records/information, which are required to provide appropriate and safe care.
• Patient chaperones, who are required to be present for some examinations, are not always available.

Requesting visits that are inappropriate or unnecessary has a negative impact on other aspects of our service. A clinician could see four to six equally needy patients in the time taken for one home visit.

Examples of when home visits are not appropriate (this list is not exhaustive):

• The patient is mobile (with or without mobility aids such as a frame or wheelchair).
• Lack of money or transport, this is unfortunately not a medical problem.
• Lack of childcare or been drinking alcohol and not able to drive, this is not a medical problem.
• Can’t get out due to bad weather. Remember that medical staff are also affected by snow, ice or bad weather.
• Other help may be more appropriate – for example, if you think you are having a heart attack or a stroke, please ring 999.

Examples of when home visits are appropriate:

• Terminally ill patients.
• Bedbound patients.
• So poorly, the patient would be harmed if moved.

Under their terms of working, GPs are required to consider home visits for medical reasons only. If you think you require a home visit, please call the surgery as early as possible. All home visit requests will be medically assessed (triaged) to check if a visit is appropriate.

The triage clinician will consider your request and ensure you are seen by the most appropriate available health care professional, in the most appropriate location.

An emergency hospital admission may be organised via the ambulance service in cases where symptoms suggest that is the most appropriate course of action.

Please help us to use our resources effectively for the safety and benefit of all patients.

Thank you.

If you are a smoker, you might receive a text message from us about local services that can help you to quit. Quitting smoking is a normal thing to do and is one of the best things you can do for your health. It will improve your ability to recover after illness or injury and it can even make some medications work better, meaning you might be able to reduce the dosage.

If you receive a message from us, please take action, follow the advice and make use of the free stop smoking services available to you. Take control of your health!

Whether you receive a text message or not, there’s free help available to support you to becoming smoke-free. Visit our Quitting Smoking pages for more information and contact details: www.frimleyhealthandcare.org.uk/quitsmoking

Frimley Health and Care is helping residents with long term health conditions to live their lives with confidence from the comfort of their own home.

The remote monitoring service enables people to regularly share their health readings, such as their symptoms and blood pressure, with a Digital Health Team.  This team of healthcare professionals can spot any changes and offer clinical advice and further support when needed.

In the past we had to wait for you to tell your care professional that you need help.  Now, professionals can combine their clinical expertise with the information in your shared care record to proactively offer help such as remote monitoring.

Forest Health patients with one or more conditions that would benefit from remote monitoring will be contacted by Berkshire Primary Care’s Digital Health Team.

For more information on how Frimley Health and Care use your information, visit https://www.frimleyhealthandcare.org.uk/about-us/connected-care/

Most young people will talk to parents about health and illness, but for some teenage issues like feeling depressed, contraception or bullying, they may decide to go and talk to a doctor or nurse in confidence. Sometimes this happens because it is just too embarrassing to talk to parents about sensitive and personal matters.

All children, even those under 16, can make an appointment to see their doctor or nurse without their parents’ knowledge or consent. The doctor or nurse will keep this appointment confidential as long as they are satisfied that the young person understands what is going on. There may be occasions, such as sexual or drug abuse, where the doctor is unable to keep information confidential, but they will always discuss this first and act in the best interests of the young person.

You can book a telephone appointment with our Practice nurse. Alternatively, you can visit one of the local Pharmacies who offer private consultations, and speak with the Pharmacist, especially if you are in need of Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill).

• Menopause advice
• Child health surveillance
• Ante natal care
• Phlebotomy
• Family planning
• Minor surgery
• Diabetes clinic
• Respiratory clinics
• Flu And Pneumonia Injection Clinics

These are held each year, usually between September and March. These injections provide valuable protection against flu in at risk patients, such as patients with heart, lung and kidney problems, diabetics and the elderly.

The pneumonia injection is currently recommended for over 65s and younger people with certain medical conditions who are at risk.

The Department of Health states that we are not able to provide flu or pneumonia vaccination for our patients who do not fall into the above categories, but we will be able to advise you on where you will be able to obtain the vaccination.

Please check this link for self-help for children and young people.

All women aged 25 to 64 are offered a cervical smear test as part of the national cervical screening programme every 3 years from age 25-49 and every 5 years from age 50-64. Please note you will be invited by the screening programme and we can not take a smear without this invitation.

Due to changes and increased pressure we are experiencing in the provision of care in our NHS GP Practice, we will be offering travel vaccinations provided by the NHS only.

As part of our NHS general medical services, we can provide vaccinations against Polio (Polio vaccination is combined with Diptheria and Tetanus), Cholera, Hepatitis A and typhoid (if your travel risk assessment advises these for your travel itinerary).

A private travel clinic will be able to advise you on non-NHS vaccinations should you require these vaccinations and advise of malaria protection if needed. Antimalarial medication is available to purchase over the counter at most pharmacies, and antimalarial medication for children can be purchased from a private travel clinic.

Patients who plan to travel abroad are now recommended to seek travel advice online. There are several online travel advice providers available to consult: NaTHNaC (travelhealthpro.org.uk) and Fit For Travel (www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk).

If your travel abroad is work-related, you will need to go through the Occupational Health Department associated with your place of work for travel advice, administration of vaccinations, or go to a private travel clinic through your employer.

Before you travel, it is your responsibility to find out whether you will need vaccinations for the country you are visiting. Please note we require 6 weeks notice for travel vaccinations where your travel questionnaire will be assessed, and you will be contacted to arrange an appointment.

Please complete the Travel Questionnaire below.