Who is the most appropriate professional for your care?
Please consider what the best options for your healthcare are, based on the urgency of your condition and nature of your ailment. General Practice work in conjunction with other Primary Care providers such as Opticians and Pharmacists, who can deliver advice and treatment within the Community, so make sure you get to see the right person, at the right time, in the right place.
This may save you time in getting the help you need, and avoid arranging an unnecessary appointment with your Doctor.
Have you tried self-care?
A range of common illnesses such as cold and flu and minor injuries can be treated at home simply by combining a well-stocked medicine cabinet with plenty of rest. Many patients attend with conditions that would get better with self-care. Studies show that 25-40% of consultations with a GP are unnecessary so it would help if patients only booked an appointment with a GP if they really need to.
Examples of the ailments best treated by yourself are:
- Upset stomach
- Grazed knee
- Common cold
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Colds & Flu
There are a wide variety of helpful Self Care information and resources available which could help you to treat your illness without the need for an appointment:
Get immediate help from your local Pharmacy
Visit a Pharmacy for healthcare advice without an appointment
It is estimated that every year, 50 million visits to the GP are made for minor ailments such as coughs and colds, mild eczema, and athlete’s foot. By visiting your pharmacy instead, you could save yourself time and trouble.
The Pharmacy First scheme provides advice, treatment and medicines for common ailments from your local pharmacy. How does it work?
If you have any common ailments, you can access the Pharmacy First scheme in two ways:
- Visit one of the pharmacies taking part in the Pharmacy First scheme. You will be seen promptly by a member of the pharmacy team and you can ask to be seen in private.
- Some practices use this scheme and may give you a voucher (one per patient) to take to the pharmacy.
Please refer to NHS leaflet shown below regarding over the counter medicines.
New Medicine Service
The New Medicine Service is available at Pharmacies to give you extra help and advice if you’re just starting on a new medicine for one of the following conditions:
- asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- people who have been given a new blood-thinning medicine
More about the New Medicine Service.
Treat Yourself Better
We support the campaign to encourage people to self-treat minor ailments such as colds and flu. The Treat Yourself Better Without Antibiotics website is full of information to help people understand when how long they can expect their symptoms to last for, when they need to see a doctor and when they would be better off visiting their local pharmacist for advice.
Who do I See?
Who do I see?
Provides you with information and supporting links for treatments for some of the most common conditions, services, or most suitable healthcare professional that you should see. ‘Who do I see?’, will signpost you to the most appropriate help and care.
Self-referral services that do not require a Practice appointment
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies
We want to make access to psychological therapy as easy as possible; so we have created several ways for you to access our services.
Self referral
To register your referral, we will need your name, date of birth, contact details including postal address, and name of the GP surgery you are registered with.
Podiatry
We provide a wide range of foot health services at University Hospital Lewisham and in the community. This includes assessment, diagnosis, treatment, education and advice on disease and deformities related to the foot and lower limb.
How can you get a referral?
Any person registered with a Lewisham GP can be referred by their GP or apply to the service by submitting an application form. However, only people with a health condition that impacts on the health of their feet, or people with a significant foot problem such as a wound, acutely ingrowing nail or painful musculoskeletal condition, can be given access to the service.
Stop Smoking
You can book an appointment to see a stop smoking advisor at one of several clinics in Lewisham that will offer free support and medication on prescription to help you quit.
Smokefree Lewisham
Are you looking to stop smoking? The Lewisham NHS Stop Smoking Service website can help you find out everything you need to know on how we cn help you to stop smoking.
Maternity Services
The maternity unit at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, is a multi award winning maternity service. They are absolutely committed to providing high quality maternity care for women and their partners during their pregnancy, labour and after the birth of their baby.
Your antenatal care
Community midwives run antenatal clinics in Children’s Centres and GP practices close to where you live, and are often the first point of contact for pregnant women. It is important you contact your midwife a soon as possible in pregnancy so that they can plan your ongoing care with you.
Did you know you can refer yourself for an appointment with one of our midwives without speaking to your GP first?
You can self-refer by calling our midwife hotline on 07787 841 986, or alternatively by completing the online self-referral form; you can access this by clicking on the button shown below.
Eye Problems?
Whatever your eye problem your first port of call should be an optometrist. An optometrist is the best person to assess urgent eye problems, check for eye disorders and treat eye conditions. They have the professional training and necessary equipment to assess most eye problems.
If your optician is closed and you can’t wait until it reopens call 111
If you sustain an eye injury that requires immediate emergency treatment go to your nearest Accident and Emergency.
Dental Emergency?
For dental emergencies, call the dentist with whom you are registered. You should receive a recorded message advising you of the arrangements that have been made for emergency cover. If you have not registered with a dentist, please try to do so as soon as possible. Dentist’s can perform an appropriate assessment and advise on necessary intervention including use of any antibiotics.
If you require emergency treatment, you should contact NHS 111
Dental emergencies are: acute dental pain, facial or oral swelling, bleeding from the mouth or trauma.
Do you need Social Care & Support?
If you or someone you know needs help with day-to-day living because of illness or disability, this website explains your options and where you can get support.
Need to speak with someone when the surgery is closed?
Call 111
NHS 111 is a free phone service which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It offers you a one-stop number if you have urgent, but not life-threatening, symptoms and want a fast and easy way to get help when you need it.
You should call 111 if:
- it’s not a 999 emergency
- you think you need to go to A&E or another NHS urgent care service
- you don’t think it can wait for an appointment with your GP
- you don’t know who to call for medical help.
For less urgent health needs you should still contact your GP in the usual way. For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, continue to call 999.
Urgent Care Centre
If you have an urgent medical problem when the surgery is closed, contact SELDOC, the out of hours doctors service on 020 8693 9066. SELDOC is a large professional organisation run by doctors in South East London. They are open Monday to Friday 6:30pm – 8:00am, weekends and bank holidays.
If you have an emergency please call 999
Medical emergencies can include:
- loss of consciousness
- an acute confused state
- fits that aren’t stopping
- chest pain
- breathing difficulties
- severe bleeding that can’t be stopped
- severe allergic reactions
- severe burns or scalds
Mental Health Crisis?
You should call 999 or go to A&E if you, or someone you know, experiences a life-threatening medical or mental health emergency. These are cases where there is immediate danger to life or physical injury. A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a medical emergency. If you feel like you may be close to acting on suicidal thoughts or have seriously harmed yourself, you should call 999 or go to A&E directly if you need immediate help and are worried about your safety.
It’s important to use A&E only for serious injuries and major emergencies.
Get immediate help for Minor Injuries
Use your local minor injuries unit if you need medical treatment or advice which does not need a visit to A&E or a medical appointment.
Some examples of problems they deal with:
- sprains and strains
- suspected broken limbs
- minor head injuries
- cuts and grazes
- bites and stings
- minor scalds and burns
- ear and throat infections
- skin infections and rashes
- eye problems
- coughs and colds
- feverish illness in adults
- feverish illness in children
- abdominal pain
- vomiting and diarrhoea
- emergency contraception
Arrange an appointment with one of the Nursing team
The Practice Nurse is usually able to assess the situation and in some cases will organise initial blood tests and other investigations prior to arranging a follow up appointment with your doctor.
The Practice Nurse complements the service that we offer to you, our patients. Please be assured that a doctor’s appointment will always be available should you prefer but you may get an earlier appointment if you opt to consult the nurse practitioners.
See a Nurse about: blood pressure checks, urine infection, cervical smears, dressings, family planning advice, contraceptives, minor injuries and ailments, immunisations, diabetes management, asthma care, COPD (heart) care, smoking cessation, free health checks for 40-70 year olds, travel advice , removal of stitches and clips etc.
Our Healthcare Assistants and the Practice Nurse perform new patient health checks, blood tests, elderly patient assessments and offer smoking cessation services and health promotion/ lifestyle advice.
Call the surgery on 020 8692 0033 to arrange an appointment with a nurse and you may be seen more quickly.
Need medical advice or treatment from one of our Doctors?
Some patients, often those with complex and long-standing medical problems, may need an appointment with a doctor.
Call the surgery on 020 8692 0033 to arrange an appointment with a doctor
