For patients requiring Annual Reviews for conditions, such as Asthma, COPD, Diabetes, CHD, Hypertension, Heart Failure and Stroke/TIA - we aim to call patients in during their birth month for all relevant Annual Reviews.

This will be via a self-booking link for patients with mobile phones, or via a letter for those with only a landline. Patients are welcome to call in to book these appointments when they are due, without waiting for their yearly invitation.

Patients with asthma are encouraged to attend for a regular review in order to optimise control and minimise any symptoms. This review should ideally be annually.

Do you look after someone who depends on you because of an illness or disability?

If you provide help and support to a partner, relative, child, friend or neighbour who could not manage without your help due to physical or mental illness, disability, frailty or addiction, then you are one of thousands of unpaid carers in Bristol.

If you are a carer, it is important to look after your own health as well as the person you care for.

Here at Shirehampton Group Practice we want to be able to do all we can to help you to stay as healthy and informed as possible, so you can carry on caring for as long as you want to. Please register with us, this enables us to provide you with the following benefits:

• Free ‘flu’ vaccinations each autumn
• Sharing information with you about the person you care for if she/he consents to this, which will make communication easier
• More flexible appointments depending on your needs as a carer

If you look after someone, please let us know – we may be able to help you. To register as a carer with us, ask for a carers identification form from reception or speak to your doctor / nurse.

You can also access a wide range of information and support from our local carers support organisation Carers Support Centre or contact CarersLine on 0117 965 22 00. They can help you with:

• One-to-one support
• Activity groups with other people going through similar issues
• Carers support groups
• Hospital support to help carers in a hospital setting, particularly around the discharge process
• Training and workshops to help you manage on a day to day basis
• Carers assessments to help you to get the support you need to be a carer
• Employment support to help you to get back into work or to stay in employment
• Help applying for relevant benefits
• Carers emergency card which will ensure that the person you care for is supported in the event of you being taken seriously ill.

They have specific workers for parent carers, young carers and for carers who support an adult with a learning difficulty.

If you need information about other groups available in your locality, then please go to their website Carers Support Centre or contact CarersLine for further information and support.

The practice nurses (female) do these unless you request otherwise. You will be invited for a smear in accordance with the national recall policy (unless the cytologist/consultant recommends repeating the smear more often).

You are now able to book your smear online so if you have received your invitation, are overdue or have never had one before, you can book with us using your online access account. Alternatively, you can call reception to book an appointment.

• If you would like more information to help you to decide whether you would like to book for your smear please visit the government's website
• If you feel you would find it hard to attend please visit the government's website for further support.
• If you would like to decline or defer your cervical smear please complete our online form, or visit reception for a printed copy. 

Our nurses offer a comprehensive childhood immunisation service. When your baby is due its first immunisations, you will be sent an appointment for these. We will then ask you to book further appointments to ensure that your child is fully immunised.

For more information about immunisations please go to the NHS website

If you do not wish for you child to be vaccinated, please fill out a refusal form which will need to be sent back to the surgery and attached to your child’s notes. If you are unsure, please book a telephone appointment with the nurses to discuss your options.

For school aged children please click here to find all relevant contact information for parents.

Our specialist nurses are pleased to see people with Chronic Heart Disease for their yearly check-up.  

Our specialist nurses are pleased to see people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for their yearly check-up.

The nurse is often able to review your contraception for you. For example they can provide emergency contraception, do your yearly pill check, or administer your 3-monthly depot injection. They will refer you on to the doctor when necessary.

We are currently offering Autumn Boosters to:

• those aged 65 years and over
• those aged 18 to 64 years in clinical risk groups
• pregnant women
• carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
• household contacts of immunocompromised individuals

We have sent out text invitations and called those patients without mobiles, but if you fall into one of these categories and have not yet received an invitation, or have not yet booked, please contact reception on 0117 9162226 as we still have appointments available.

We are able to provide comprehensive care for patients with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Patients are able to have their annual retinal screening done at the surgery and are recalled by the retinal screening programme, clinics are held bi-annually.

We are keen to support those who would like help with drug misuse problems. Please discuss this with your doctor.

Your doctor or nurse will advise you if you need a heart tracing.

Flu Clinic 2024/2025

Our flu vaccination programme for Autumn-Winter 2024/25 will be available to all patients aged 65 and over, and those aged under 65 with conditions including but not limited to asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, stroke and kidney disease. We also will be offering the vaccination to patients who are pregnant, and those with a chronic condition affecting their immune system.

Appointments are now available to book for Saturday 5th October and Saturday 19th October.
You are welcome to visit or call the Practice to book an appointment if you are eligible.

Otherwise, all eligible patients will be invited by text message and / or phone call to book an appointment, from the beginning of September.

Please support the surgery by having your annual flu vaccination administered here.

Please visit the NHS website for further details

You can now book free Health and Well-being Coaching in this practice, to help make lifestyle and behaviour changes that benefit your well-being.

More information is available here 

Our specialist nurses are pleased to see people with hypertensive disease for their yearly check-up.

The practice maintains a register of all of its patients with learning difficulties. Everyone on the register is offered an annual health check over and above any other disease management. If you have any questions please speak to your GP.

We are pleased to be able to offer a Minor Surgery service at the practice.

This includes removal of bothersome simple lesions such as skin tags, seborrhoeic keratoses and some moles. Please be aware that we are unable to remove for purely cosmetic reasons and there are some lesions that would not be suitable for removal in a GP setting. 

Please book a routine face to face appointment with Dr Male (either by calling the practice or submitting an eConsult) if you would like to be assessed for a possible removal. 

If deemed able/appropriate then the procedure will be explained to you and you will be placed on the waiting list for a minor operation at a later date. 

We have an in-house FCP Physiotherapist who can offer both telephone and face-to-face appointments for musculoskeletal problems. These can be booked for you by our reception team if appropriate, or by one of our clinicians.

A First Contact Practitioner (FCP) is a physiotherapist who is professionally qualified to treat patients without a referral from a GP or other healthcare professional. FCPs provide the first point of contact whereby those who visit a GP for a musculoskeletal (MSK) problem will instead have an appointment with an FCP physiotherapist.

What is Social Prescribing? 

Social Prescribing is a free service you can access via this GP practice linking you to our Social Prescribing Link Worker who is there to listen to you and  help you work toward goals you have to improve your health and wellbeing. Your Link Worker can work with you for up to six 1-1 sessions, and can put you in touch with the people and activities that might help you to feel better, based on what matters to you.

Examples of things your link worker might support you to access are: 

• Arts, gardening and creative activities
• Physical activities (walking groups, exercise classes, etc) and healthy eating
• Housing, benefits and financial support and advice
• Employment, training and volunteering
• Education and learning
• Befriending, peer support, counselling and mental health support

How do I get in touch with my Social Prescribing Link Worker? 

• Ask your GP / Nurse / other practice staff to refer you

Unfortunately at present we are unable to offer smoking cessation clinics but if you would like some advice on ways to quit smoking, local services and general tips please visit the NHS website

Our specialist nurses are pleased to see people who have had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack for their yearly check-up.

We no longer routinely offer weight management referrals, however there is a new online service patients can use available via the NHS website

Our specialist nurses can offer advice on relationships, pregnancy tests, emergency ‘after sex’ contraception, sexual infections, condoms, the pill and other contraception. We are C card providers.

All Health services including those for young people are confidential. This means that we won’t pass on anything that you have told us, even if you are under 16, unless we think you are in serious danger. We would always talk to you first about this.

If you need to make an appointment, please speak to a receptionist. You may be asked if you need to be urgently or more routinely.

If you need ‘after sex’ contraception then it is best to get is as soon as possible. You will need an urgent appointment or you can phone 111 for out of hours services when the Practice is closed.

Useful links and contacts

• Unity Sexual Health: local website with lots of useful information about sexual health
• ChildLine:  a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of 19. You can contact a ChildLine counsellor about anything -no problem is too big or too small. Call free on 0800 1111.
• Off the Record: Free, confidential counselling and support for young people up to the age of 25. Off the Record in Lawrence Weston: Phone 0808 808 9120 or text 07896880011 and leave a contact number. Sessions run on Tuesday mornings 10am – 12.30pm
• Turn to the Bridge: Counselling for anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted. Telephone 0117 3426999