Quarry Bank Medical Centre

13/08/2025

👩‍⚕️ Welcome Dr Shahin Shaikh! 🩺
We’re proud to welcome Dr Shahin Shaikh to the clinical team here at Quarry Bank Medical Centre!

Dr Shaikh brings a wealth of experience in general practice and is a qualified GP Trainer, supporting and mentoring the next generation of NHS doctors.

Her arrival reflects our commitment to:
✅ Exceptional, patient-focused care
✅ Growing as a teaching and training practice
✅ Building a strong, expert-led team for our local community

Patients can expect thoughtful, knowledgeable, and compassionate care from Dr Shaikh — and we’re thrilled to have her on board.

Please join us in giving her a warm Quarry Bank welcome!

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11/08/2025

📣We’re Going Paperless for Prescription Requests – From Monday 1st September📣
From Monday 1st September, we’ll no longer be accepting or providing paper forms to request your prescriptions.
But don’t worry – we’ve made it easier than ever to request your meds! 💊✨
✅Use the NHS App – quick, secure, and you can track your prescription straight to the pharmacy!
✅Use our website – just fill out the simple Accurx form.
✅ Need help? Pop into the surgery – we’ll show you how to use either option, step-by-step, at your pace.
📞Can’t use the app or website?
You can call us between 11:30am and 12:30pm, Monday to Friday. This line is mainly for our housebound patients, so if you can use one of the online options, please do — it helps us keep the phone lines free for those who really need it.
Why are we going paperless?
• Paper requests were sometimes getting lost = delays 😞
• Online requests go straight to the doctor = faster! 🚀
• You can leave notes with your request for the GP to see ✍
• It’s safer for your personal information 🔒
• And… it’s better for the environment! 🌍♻
You can still order up to 7 days early on the NHS App or website too — so it’s super convenient. 🙌
We’re here to help you make the switch, so don’t hesitate to ask if you need support getting started.
Let’s go paper-free, stress-free, and future-ready together!
Thank you for helping us improve our service 💚
– Quarry Bank Medical Centre

11/08/2025

🩺✨ Minor Surgery Now Available at Quarry Bank Medical Centre! ✨🩺
We’re proud to offer a range of minor surgical procedures right here at the practice — providing quicker, more convenient care without needing a hospital referral.

As part of our Locally Commissioned Service (LCS), our skilled clinicians can provide:
✅ Joint, tendon & soft tissue injections
✅ Removal of skin lesions, cysts & lipomas
✅ Ingrown or infected toenail procedures
✅ Incision and drainage of abscesses
✅ Varicose vein & haemorrhoid injections (where appropriate)
✅ Denosumab injections with full blood monitoring

💡 All procedures are carried out under local anaesthetic, in line with strict infection control and NHS clinical governance standards.

👩‍⚕️ Performed by trained clinicians with appropriate facilities, consent, aftercare, and follow-up — ensuring a safe and efficient patient experience.

📍We welcome both our registered patients and referrals from other Dudley GP practices.

Ask your GP or speak to our team to see if Quarry Bank’s Minor Surgery Clinic is right for you.

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08/08/2025

🌬️ Asthma Diagnostic Clinic – Wednesday 27th August 🗓️
Struggling with unexplained breathlessness, coughing or wheezing? You may have asthma — and we’re here to help.

Quarry Bank Medical Centre is running a dedicated Asthma Diagnostic Clinic on Tuesday 27th August, offering FeNO testing (Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide). This simple, non-invasive test helps us understand airway inflammation and gives us a clearer picture when diagnosing asthma.

🩺 Why is this important?
✅ Faster and more accurate diagnosis
✅ Avoid unnecessary treatment
✅ Personalised asthma management
✅ Support from trained clinicians who specialise in respiratory care

📍Appointments are limited — please speak to reception or request an appointment via our online form if you think this might be right for you.

06/08/2025

📣 We’re Going Paperless for Prescription Requests – From Monday 11th August! 📣

From Monday 11th August, we’ll no longer be accepting or providing paper forms to request your prescriptions.

But don’t worry – we’ve made it easier than ever to request your meds! 💊✨

✅ Use the NHS App – quick, secure, and you can track your prescription straight to the pharmacy!
✅ Use our website – just fill out the simple Accurx form.
✅ Need help? Pop into the surgery – we’ll show you how to use either option, step-by-step, at your pace. 🧑‍💻📱

📞 Can’t use the app or website?
You can call us between 1pm and 2pm, Monday to Friday. This line is mainly for our housebound patients, so if you can use one of the online options, please do — it helps us keep the phone lines free for those who really need it.

💡 Why are we going paperless?
• Paper requests were sometimes getting lost = delays 😞
• Online requests go straight to the doctor = faster! 🚀
• You can leave notes with your request for the GP to see ✍️
• It’s safer for your personal information 🔒
• And… it’s better for the environment! 🌍♻️

You can still order up to 7 days early on the NHS App or website too — so it’s super convenient. 🙌

We’re here to help you make the switch, so don’t hesitate to ask if you need support getting started.

👉 Let’s go paper-free, stress-free, and future-ready together!
Thank you for helping us improve our service 💚

– Quarry Bank Medical Centre

06/08/2025

🤰 Just found out you’re pregnant? Here’s what to do next! 💙

First of all – congratulations! 🎉 Whether it’s your first time or you’ve been here before, we’re here to support you every step of the way at Quarry Bank Medical Centre.

✅ You don’t need to see a GP to get started.
As soon as you’ve had a positive pregnancy test, you can self-refer directly to the midwife team online.

📲 Use this link to refer yourself:
👉 www.nhs.uk/pregnancyselfreferral

Once you’ve completed the form, a midwife will contact you to book your first appointment – usually between 8 and 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Our GPs are still here if you need support with anything else during pregnancy – but there’s no need to book just to confirm you’re expecting.

If you’re ever unsure, just give us a call – we’re happy to help.

💙 You’ve got this – and we’ve got you.

06/08/2025

📚 We’re Proud to Be a Teaching Practice! 🩺
At Quarry Bank Medical Centre, we’re committed not just to providing excellent care today — but to shaping the clinicians of tomorrow.

As a recognised teaching practice, we regularly welcome:
👨‍⚕️ 5th Year Medical Students from the University of Birmingham
👩‍⚕️ Pharmacy and Physician Associate students
💼 Apprentices in both clinical and non-clinical roles
🏥 Graduate nurses supported through training hubs

👩‍🏫 Why does this matter to our patients?
✔️ You may be seen by a student or trainee clinician (always under supervision)
✔️ You’ll be helping future NHS professionals develop real-world skills
✔️ Our team stays fresh, up-to-date, and passionate about education and high standards

🌱 Supporting student learning is part of how we give back to the NHS and invest in better care — for now and the future. Thank you for being part of that journey with us!

📍If you’d prefer not to be seen by a student, just let us know — there’s absolutely no pressure.

04/08/2025

🎀 Smear Test Update – What You Need to Know! 🎀

From 1st July 2025, the NHS is updating how often you’re invited for your cervical screening (smear test) – and it’s all based on the latest science to keep things safe, simple and stress-free 💕

👩‍⚕️ If you’re aged 25–49, and your next test (from July onwards) is HPV-negative, you’ll now be invited every 5 years instead of every 3.

✨ Why? Because the new tests check for the HPV virus first – and if it’s not there, your risk is really low. So it’s totally safe to wait longer between tests.

💡 If HPV is found, don’t worry – you’ll be brought back in sooner for a check-up, just to be safe.

📬 You’ll still get your invitation by letter, text or through the NHS App – so make sure we’ve got your up-to-date contact details!

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🌸 Quick reminders:

✅ If you’re 50–64 – no change, still every 5 years
✅ If you’re 25–49 and due after 1st July – you’ll follow the new 5-year schedule
✅ If you’ve never had a smear – it’s never too late to get started!
✅ Got symptoms (e.g. bleeding between periods or after s*x)? Don’t wait – give us a call!

⸻

💬 Not sure when your last one was? Need a chat before booking? We’re always happy to help. Give us a ring or ask next time you’re in.

📍 Quarry Bank Medical Centre – looking after you, one appointment at a time.

01/08/2025

🎉 Big News at Quarry Bank Medical Centre! 🎉
We’ve got a fantastic new addition to our team…

👩‍⚕️ Meet Nurse Practitioner Rachel!
She’s joining us very soon and we couldn’t be more excited! With a background in emergency care, community nursing AND paramedicine (yes, really!), Rachel’s clinical skills are top-tier — and she’s here to help you feel better, faster.

💬 So, what can Rachel do?
Pretty much everything except your laundry… 😉
✅ Sore throats, earaches, coughs & sniffles
✅ Urine infections and women’s health concerns
✅ Rashes, bites, skin issues & minor injuries
✅ Aches, pains, and tummy troubles
✅ Pregnancy worries & mental health support
✅ Long-term condition reviews
✅ Prescriptions, referrals, blood tests & more

💊 Rachel is a prescriber, which means if you need treatment, she can sort it there and then — no need to see the GP first.

🕐 She’ll be available 4 days a week, seeing many of our on-the-day and urgent patients — so you can get seen quicker, and by the right person first time.

🎯 Why this matters for you:
✔️ Shorter waits
✔️ More choice
✔️ Same great care
✔️ A calm, kind, skilled professional who’ll take the time to listen

✨ We’re proud to grow our team in ways that benefit YOU — our patients. Watch this space… Rachel’s starting soon! 💙

01/08/2025

🍼💉 Baby Vaccinations Are Changing! 💉🍼
New NHS schedule from 1st July 2025 – here’s what parents need to know (without the medical jargon!) 😉

If your little one was born on or after 1st July 2024, the new baby immunisation schedule applies to you – and it’s all about giving better protection, earlier. Here’s the updated timeline:

👶 12 weeks – 6-in-1, MenB (moved earlier!), and Rotavirus
👶 16 weeks – 6-in-1 + Pneumococcal
👶 12 months – MMR, MenB booster, Pneumococcal booster
✨ NEW at 18 months – 4th 6-in-1 booster + 2nd MMR jab

📚 Don’t forget to bring your Red Book to every appointment – it helps us keep everything recorded and up to date (and yes, we know it lives in your nappy bag 😉).

🩺 These changes mean earlier protection against serious illnesses like meningitis and measles – and the new 18-month booster helps keep immunity strong right through toddlerhood.

💬 Not sure what your child needs or if you’ve missed a dose? No worries – just give us a call and we’ll help you catch up.

📍 Quarry Bank Medical Centre – proud to support local families every step of the way.

30/07/2025

🤰 Just found out you’re pregnant? Here’s what to do next! 💙

First of all – congratulations! 🎉 Whether it’s your first time or you’ve been here before, we’re here to support you every step of the way at Quarry Bank Medical Centre.

✅ You don’t need to see a GP to get started.
As soon as you’ve had a positive pregnancy test, you can self-refer directly to the midwife team online.

📲 Use this link to refer yourself:
👉 https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/refer-yourself-for-nhs-pregnancy-care/

Once you’ve completed the form, a midwife will contact you to book your first appointment – usually between 8 and 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Our GPs are still here if you need support with anything else during pregnancy – but there’s no need to book just to confirm you’re expecting.

If you’re ever unsure, just give us a call – we’re happy to help.

💙 You’ve got this – and we’ve got you.

Pregnancy care (also called antenatal care) is the care you have while you're pregnant to help keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.You do not usually need to see a GP. If you're registered with a GP, they'll be told about your pregnancy after your first midwife appointment. Information: If...

28/07/2025

🦠💉 FLU CLINICS STARTING – BOOK EARLY! 💉🦠

Our **flu clinics will be launching in the last week of September – and appointments are already filling up fast!

📞 Call now to book your slot and protect yourself ahead of winter.
Early booking helps us plan our clinics and means less waiting around later!

👉 Who’s eligible for the FREE NHS flu jab?

You can have the flu vaccine at Quarry Bank Medical Centre if you are:

✔️ Aged 65 or over
✔️ Aged 18–64 with certain health conditions (like asthma, diabetes, heart/kidney/liver/lung/neurological disease, or a weakened immune system)
✔️ Pregnant
✔️ A carer or unpaid carer
✔️ Living with someone who is immunosuppressed
✔️ A frontline health or social care worker
✔️ A resident in a care home or long-stay care facility
✔️ On the learning disability register
✔️ A household contact of someone with a weakened immune system

💙 Not sure if you qualify? Just give us a call and we’ll check for you.

🗓️ Clinics will be weekday and Saturday options – we’ll confirm dates and times shortly. For now, get your name down early!

Help us keep our community safe this winter – protect yourself and those around you.

📍 Quarry Bank Medical Centre
📞 Call now to book: 01384566651