Our Services

The personal child health record (red book)red book

Shortly before or after your baby is born, you'll be given a personal child health record (PCHR). This usually has a red cover and is often called the "red book". It's a handy way for you to keep track of your child's health and progress, and can be shared with their health professionals.

It's a good idea to take your baby's red book with you every time you visit the baby clinic, your GP, or hospital. Your baby's health professionals will use it to record your child's weight and height, vaccinations, and other important health information.

Find out more about your baby's vaccinations on the NHS website

You can also add information to the red book yourself. You may want to record any illnesses or accidents your baby has, and details of any medicines they take.

You'll find it helpful to keep the developmental milestones section of the red book up-to-date and fill in the relevant questionnaires before each routine review.

• Child Development: Thursdays 2.00pm to 3.00pm. We consider your child’s health is extremely important and advice is always available. At 6-8 weeks we hope to see you mother and baby for a check up with your doctor.
• Immunisations: Thursday 2.00pm to 5.00pm.
  Following the child development check, there is an immunisation clinic which is held on Thursdays.
  If you have missed an appointment for immunisation and want to come along without an appointment card please telephone to ensure there is a clinic running.
  You are invited to discuss with a doctor any concerns you have regarding immunisation for your child at your 6 week check.
• Flu Vaccination: This is a nasal spray rather than an injection and has proved extremely effective. Clinics start in September and parents of children with health conditions and are therefore at risk, will be contacted shortly either by text, email or letter. 
• Well Baby: This is organised by the Health Visitors at The Boundstone Children and Family Centre, Boundstone Lane, Lancing on Wednesdays from 1.30-3pm. No appointment is needed.

Please book an appointment or telephone appointment with our Practice Nurse if you would like to have some advice regarding choosing the right family planning method for you.

Please note:

• Appointments for advice can be made during regular surgery hours including Monday evenings.
• Appointments for the fitting of an inter-uterine device (coil), cap or Implanon need to be arranged with one of our specially trained GPs. 

Many conditions not requiring a blood test (Asthma and COPD) will be reviewed via a Telephone consultation with a Nurse. Patients may request a face to face appointment if necessary. Before your telephone appointment, it is helpful to have answered a few questions using one of our assessment forms

Please remember if you experience any symptoms or feel unwell, please contact the Surgery – do not wait for your annual check up.

What type of appointment do I need?

• Diabetes (with or without Hypertension): 30 minute appointment with a Healthcare Assistant (HCA). You will then be contacted once results have been reviewed.
• Diabetes AND a respiratory condition (Asthma and/or COPD): 30 minute appointment with a HCA. You will then be contacted once results have been reviewed and you will have a telephone review for your respiratory condition
• Asthma: A telephone review appointment with a Nurse
• COPD: A telephone review appointment with a Nurse
• Hypertension: If you have a home Blood Pressure machine, book a routine blood test appointment and provide readings. If you do not have a home Blood Pressure machine, book a 15 minute appointment with a HCA. You can download a sheet to record Home Blood Pressure readings here: Home Blood Pressure Readings
• Chronic Heart Disease, Heart Failure, or Stroke: Patients who do not have any of the above conditions but have been diagnosed with Chronic Heart Disease, Heart Failure, or Stroke will be invited for routine blood tests when the GP or Clinical Pharmacist does their annual medicine review.
• Pre-Diabetes: Patients who have Pre-Diabetes require an annual blood test to check their condition has not progressed to Diabetes.

PSA Testing - Testing for Prostate Cancer

PSA - Prostate Specific Antigen Testing

You have the right to a PSA test if you’re over 50 and you’ve thought carefully about the advantages and disadvantages. If you’re Black or you have a family history of prostate cancer, this can increase your own risk – so you may want to speak to your GP about having a PSA test from the age of 45.

You may also be offered a PSA test if you have symptoms of a possible prostate problem.

Some men are offered a PSA test as part of a general check-up. You should still think about the advantages and disadvantages and whether the test is right for you before agreeing to have one.

Prostate Cancer UK

If you would like to request a PSA Test please use our webform. 

Please note that this is a non-urgent Request - if you are actively worried about symptoms, please call us to book an appointment.

Request a PSA Test

We have facilities to carry out minor operations.

For example, we are able to provide certain joint injections, toe-nail problems and cryotherapy (freezing) for warts etc.

Letting the midwives know you are pregnant

• It is important to contact a midwife early in your pregnancy
• Many of the screening tests for you and your baby need to happen before you are 13 weeks pregnant.
• Start thinking about being referred when you are 6 to 7 weeks pregnant
• Following a positive pregnancy test there are a number of ways to contact a midwife.
• You only need to choose one of the options below – a midwife will then contact you to arrange booking appointment.

Option 1 - Online

• University Hospitals Sussex - Maternity Services - there is a link on this page to an online form.  Please note the information about their referrals process on this webpage.

A midwife will then

• contact you to confirm your referral,
• inform your GP that you are pregnant,
• let them know you have booked to have your baby at either St Richard’s or Worthing Hospital, and
• arrange a booking appointment with you, at which you can book your 12-week scan and ask any questions you have about your pregnancy.

Option 2 - Through your GP

• Visit your GP at Ball Tree and request a referral.

If you have not heard from a midwife within two weeks of submitting your online form or two weeks after your GP has made a referral, please contact your midwifery team

• St Richard’s Ante-Natal Clinic: 01243 788122 ext 2871
• Worthing Ante-Natal Clinic: 01903 205111 ext 84371

If you would like help with stopping smoking, please talk with any of our Healthcare Assistants, Nurses or GPs. We have specially trained Smoking Cessation Advisers available at the surgery.

If you are committed to attending 6 appointments, ask to be directed to this service. This service is often also available on Monday evenings.

Other help is also available from:  

• Quitters helpline 01243 815505
• NHS helpline 0800 1690169

If a GP or another member of our health care team believes you need hospital treatment or specialist care elsewhere, they will discuss your referral with you and where possible offer a choice of where you may like to go.

If the information is available then we will indicate the expected wait times.

If you are unable to attend a hospital appointment please let them know in advance so that they can rebook your appointment. If you no longer wish to attend, please also let them know.

In certain situations it is important that you are assessed within 2 weeks. The doctor will let you know this and it will be very important that you keep the appointment that you are given.

If you have any questions about the wait time for your appointment or you do not receive an appointment from the service you have been referred to, in the first instance you can contact:

• Western Sussex Hospital Trust Appointment Call Centre on 01273 446067 for appointments at St Richards, Worthing or Southlands Hospitals
• The West Sussex Coastal Musculoskeletal Assessment Treatment Team (MATT) based in Bognor on 01243 623601.

2024 Eligibility for COVID Vaccination

• residents in a care home for older adults
• all adults aged 65 years and over
• persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, including if pregnant

Not included for covid:

• Families and close contacts of those immunocompromised
• Health and social care workers
• Carers
• Care home staff

We do not know exactly which covid vaccine it will be yet but it will be Pfizer for under 18 and Pfizer or Moderna for over 18

If you have a minor illness such as a cold you can receive the vaccine, but if you are very unwell or have a fever, or have just started a course of antibiotics, the doctor or nurse may advise you to wait until you are better.

Invitations will be sent out by text, NHS App message and post to those who are eligible.

If you are eligible for a vaccination, please contact your local pharmacy or call 119

You may also be eligible for a Flu Vaccination and this will be offered at the same time as your COVID Vaccination.  This is safe and recommended.

Where can I have my Flu Vaccination

If you are eligible for both Flu and COVID then you may be offered to have both at the same time.  This is safe and recommended.

We will also be able to offer some ad hoc vaccinations at the end of our regular clinics where we  have capacity

2024 Eligibility for Flu Vaccination

• residents in a care home for older adults
• all adults aged 65 years and over
• persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, including if pregnant
• Families and close contacts of those immunocompromised
• Carers
• Care home staff
• All children aged 2 or 3 years on 31st August 2024
• School children reception to Y11 (School's program provides this unless need the injection or they have missed it)

What is RSV

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including cough, sore throat, sneezing and runny or blocked nose. It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

RSV infection is common in young children but is most serious for small babies and for older people.

Who should have the RSV vaccination?

Everyone turning 75 years old on or after the 1 September 2024 will be offered a single dose of RSV vaccine. This is because older adults are more at risk of serious complications from RSV. You can still get the vaccine up to the day before you turn 80. For the first year of the programme, the vaccine will also be offered to those who are already aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 as part of a catch up programme.

How to book RSV?

We will be sending out invitions by email, text, NHS App message and by phone calls over the the Autumn and Winter.

How do you catch RSV?

RSV infections can occur all year round but cases peak every winter.
RSV can spread through coughs and sneezes. You can help to prevent the spread of the virus by covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze (ideally with a tissue, or else into the bend of your elbow), and you can wash your hands frequently to reduce the risk of picking up the virus. Even with these measures it can be difficult to avoid RSV infection.
The best way to protect yourself is to have the vaccine.

How does the Vaccine Work?

Almost all older adults will have had several RSV infections during their life. A single dose of vaccine will help to boost protection as you reach an age group at highest risk of serious RSV infection.

Are there any other people eligible for the RSV vaccine?

Pregnant women are also being offered the vaccine to protect their babies from RSV. You can read the guide to the RSV vaccine for pregnant women

Do I need to have the vaccine every year?

No, a single dose is expected to give you good protection for a few years.

Can I have the RSV vaccine at the same time as my COVID-19 or flu vaccine?

RSV isn’t normally arranged to be given at the same appointment as your COVID-19 or flu vaccines.
In certain clinical circumstances, your doctor or nurse can safely offer them at the same time.

Can I have the RSV vaccine at the same time as the shingles or pneumococcal vaccine?

Yes, you can have these vaccines at the same time.

Is there anybody who shouldn’t have the vaccination?

Almost everybody can have the vaccine, but tell the doctor or nurse if you have ever had a serious allergy to a vaccine, or any of the ingredients.
If you have a minor illness such as a cold you can receive the vaccine, but if you are very unwell or have a fever, the doctor or nurse may advise you to wait until you are better.

Will the vaccine protect me completely?

The vaccine has been shown to reduce the chance of you suffering from RSV disease. As with all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective and some people may still get RSV despite having a vaccination. If you do get RSV, it should be less severe.

How long will I be protected for?

In the clinical studies, RSV vaccine provided good protection for at least 2 years, and is expected to last longer.

Will I get any side effects?

You may get some soreness, redness or swelling at the site of the injection for a day or two after the vaccination.
In the first season of use in the US, over 3 million doses were given. A nervous system condition that leads to weakness was reported, around 5 cases for every million doses given. The same condition also occurs after a number of common infections and some vaccines but overall it is safer for you to have the vaccine than to risk having a potentially serious RSV infection.

Vaccines Available

We are only able to provide NHS vaccinations relating to travel

• Polio (provided as a combined vaccine with Diptheria and Tetanus)
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A
• Cholera

NOTE

• We can highlight other vaccinations that may be required or recommended for particular destinations, however these will need to be provided by a Travel Clinic.

How to book for NHS Travel Vaccinations

1. Please complete pre-travel questionnaire
2. Aim to book the appointment at least 2 months before your departure - this is to allow us time to find an appointment with + time for the vaccine to work
3. Each person travelling must complete a questionnaire and book an individual appointment
4. We aim to help provide a risk assessment relating to your travel destination

For more information, please contact our reception team on 01903 752200 later in the morning or in the afternoon.

Information

• Travel Health Pro
• NHS Fit for Travel

Travelling in Europe

Your rights & EU rules

If you are travelling to Europe the EU has published useful information for travellers on the European website.

As an EU national, you enjoy the right of free movement. This means you’re entitled to travel, work and live in another EU country. If you’re a citizen of a Schengen country – which is most EU countries – you’re also free to travel to other Schengen countries without the need for border checks.

As an EU national, you can also benefit from EU-wide passenger rights for travel into, out of or within the EU by air, rail, bus/coach or ship. You can travel with pets and other animals in the EU provided you comply with the rules (pet passports). There are EU limits on taking alcohol, tobacco or cash with you to another EU country. Each EU country can set its own limits or restrictions, so check before you go.