At Martock Surgery, there are a number of clinics and services on offer. In addition to our routine health services such as managing your acute needs, undertaking tests, vaccinations and chronic conditions, we also provide:
Introducing Birthday Recalls for Chronic Disease Management
From 1 April 2021, we are changing when we invite patients for their annual review of certain medical conditions to your birthday month.
If you have a long term condition such as Diabetes or Asthma, you will receive an invitation to book your annual review with the practice during your birthday month either by text or letter asking you to contact the practice. When you do, our Reception Team will identify the appointments you need to support your care.
A blood test appointment is required for certain conditions, and this will include a mini-health screen which will include your height, weight, pulse check, blood pressure, waist circumference and lifestyle information. For diabetic patients you will also be offered a foot check as ensuring good circulation to your feet is essential to maintaining your good health. This will provide us with general information about your health to monitor your care.
If appropriate to your condition, you will be offered an annual review discussion with a Practice Nurse or GP/Advanced Nurse Practitioner. Due to COVID-19 precautions this will most likely be carried out by telephone or video call, though we may return to face to face consultations later in the year. Covid-19 precautions remain in place in line with national guidance to maintain a safe place for patients to attend for face to face appointments and for staff to continue to provide safe care.
You may find that the period from your last review to your next review is more or less than 12 months, as this enables us to transition to birthday month reviews over 2021/22. If you have any concerns about your condition before or after your annual review, please contact us via AskMyGP or by telephone to request a consultation.
Amanda Botley
Lead Practice Nurse
South Petherton and Martock surgeries
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (First Contact Practitioners)
Lower back and neck pain are the greatest cause of years lost to disability in the UK, with chronic joint pain or osteoarthritis affecting more than 8.75 million people. In addition, musculoskeletal conditions also account for 30% of all GP appointments.
Our first contact practitioners can help patients with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain by:
- assessing and diagnosing issues
- giving expert advice on how best to manage their conditions
- referring them onto specialist services if necessary.
Cervical Screening (Smear Clinic)
Cervical Screening (Smear Test) is routinely offered to women as part of a National Screening Programme between the ages of 25 and 64.
This test is not to diagnose cervical cancer. The test is to check the health of the cervix, which is the lower part of the womb. For the majority of women the test will show that everything is fine but for 1 in 20 women there may be some changes in the cells that can be caused by many things; however most of these changes will not lead to cervical cancer. Since the 1980’s, cervical cancer rates have halved mostly due to women having regular smear tests.
Women should be called routinely every 3 years until the age of 50, then the frequency is reduced to 5 yearly.
Contraception Clinics
Contraception is used to prevent unplanned pregnancy resulting from sexual intercourse. Contraception is free for most people in the UK. With 15 methods to choose from, we can help you to find the one that suits you best.