Smoking Advice

It is never too late to stop smoking. Be positive! If you are serious about stopping we have an in-house cessation counsellor who can give advice, issue medication and provide support if you have given up, or are thinking about giving up smoking.

Please make an appointment by contacting reception.

Smoking helpline 0800 169 0169
NHS website: www.gosmokefree.co.uk

Teen Advice

Contraceptive Advice
Confidential advice is available to all teenagers. Please make an appointment to see our practice nurse or a GP.

Chlamydia Screening
A simple confidential urine test is advised for all sexually active young people aged 15-24. Please make an appointment to see a GP.

Did you know?

• At thirteen years of age you can make an appointment at the surgery and see a Doctor or nurse in confidence to discuss any problems or to ask for advice.
• You do not have to tell the receptionist what the appointment is for.
• The information given to the doctor or nurse is confidential and cannot be disclosed without your consent.
• Condoms can be given to teenagers ask the surgery for advise.
• The surgery provides contraceptive advice including the morning after pill.

The surgery team are here to listen to you. They do not tell you what to do, they assist you to get better if you are ill and explain clearly anything else that concerns you.

Eating
The saying 'are you getting enough' goes to eating to. A good diet is very important especially breakfast.

Personal Hygiene
As you mature your body goes through changes, and keeping clean and healthy are vitally important. Washing your body, wearing clean underwear every day and cleaning your teeth are just a small but important part of personal welfare.

Smoking & Alcohol
If you are under 16 it is illegal for you to purchase cigarettes and smoke. If you purchase cigarettes for a minor you are also breaking the law. If you are under 18 it is against the law to purchase alcohol. It is also illegal for someone over 18 to buy alcohol for an under 18.

Drugs – Just Say No
Seven important terms – do you know what they mean?

Overdose – This can happen when someone takes so much of a drug that their body cannot cope with it.
Stimulants – Drugs like ecstasy, speed & cocaine affect people by speeding up their bodies, making them energetic and excited, commonly know as 'uppers'.
Addiction – When a person becomes dependant on a drug and needs it to get by from day to day.
Tolerance – The body has got used to the drug so it does not give you the same effect anymore.
Hallucinogens – Drugs like LSD (acid) and magic mushrooms make people hallucinate, they see and hear things which are not there. These types of drugs are called 'trips'.
Depressants – Drugs like heroin and tranquillisers slow the body down, making it feel drowsy and relaxed. These drugs are known as 'downers'.
Withdrawal – The bad feeling someone gets when they stop using certain drugs which they have been dependant on for a long time.

Talking to FRANK – FRANK is available to speak to 24 hours a day. You can ring free from a landline on 0800 77 66 00, it will not show up on the telephone bill. Your call will be completely confidential. You can also log onto TALKTOFRANK.COM this website is for anyone who wants to know anything about drugs.

Generic Medicines

What does this mean?
A generic medicine is a medicine which contains the same active ingredients as the original patented one, however it is much cheaper to purchase. It is usually a different shape or colour to the original brand, but it does exactly the same job.

Why is this good for the Patient?
As demands on the health service grow, generic medicines provide patients with safe and effective treatment while reducing the cost of pharmaceutical care. Generic medicines are widely demanded in many EU counties and are increasingly prescribed by general practitioners.

Generic medicines stimulate competition between pharmaceutical companies as soon as the patient on the original brands expires. This means that your doctor can prescribe medicines safely and the costs to the surgery are reduced, allowing your surgery to provide more services for the budget they are given.

What you need to know?
If you take regular medication try and remember its strength and its name. Sometimes you be given a different brand: by going to the same pharmacy for your prescription each time to avoid this. If you are worried about your medicines your doctor or pharmacist will be happy to discuss them and put your mind at rest.