The Lodge Surgery

13/05/2026

13/05/2026

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 🎉
13 May 2026

⭐️ Today we celebrate our amazing team of Receptionists ⭐️

At Lodge Surgery our Reception Team is trained to help you get the right care or service for your health needs by asking the right questions at the right time.

They not only make sure patients are seen by the right clinician but are also available to help with booking appointments, answering all manner of queries as well as processing prescription requests and dealing with a range of administrative tasks on behalf of patients.

They help and support the wider practice team and we could not manage without them. 🎉

12/05/2026

🧑🏻‍⚕️𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 👩🏾‍⚕️
12 May 2026

Celebrate National Nurses Day on May 12 by giving a special thank you to the everyday heroes in the nursing profession! 👏

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆?
International Nurses Day is observed every year on May 12th, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The day is organised by the International Council of Nurses and serves to highlight the importance of nurses in the healthcare system, celebrating their dedication, hard work, and impact on patient health.

⭐At The Lodge Surgery our Practice Nurses are qualified and registered Nurses. They can help with health issues such as family planning, healthy living advice, blood pressure checks and dressings. The Practice Nurses run clinics for long-term health conditions including asthma and diabetes, minor ailment clinics, immunisation clinics as well as carrying out cervical smears.⭐

On May 12, we recognise the important role nurses play in our lives.
Often the first and last person a patient sees during a hospital visit, nurses are truly the rockstars! 🤘

08/05/2026

𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗳 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸
4 - 10 May 2026

Approximately 11 million people in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss. Deafness and hearing loss can have a range of challenging implications, especially when it comes to communication. And communicating with others makes up much of what we do as individuals.

Overcoming these obstacles can involve hearing therapy, lipreading classes and learning sign language. Hearing loss can also sometimes lead to withdrawal from social situations, emotional distress or loneliness.

The aim of Deaf Awareness Week is to raise awareness of hearing loss in the UK and its impact on people's lives.

The British Deaf Association (BDA) is a national Deaf-led organisation that works directly with Deaf people that use British Sign Language (BSL). Their work concentrates on campaigning for equal rights on a national level and working at a local level empowering Deaf people to achieve access to their local public services.

To find out more about BDA's mission and what else they do, check out the link below⬇

https://bda.org.uk/

05/05/2026

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵
May

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲?
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. Damage to the brain can affect how the body works. It can also change how you think and feel. The effects of a stroke depend on where it takes place in the brain, and how big the damaged area is.

Stroke can be life-changing. It can happen to anyone of any age and affects everyone in different ways.

A stroke is a medical emergency. If you spot the signs of stroke, call 999.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀
Stroke can happen to anyone, of any age, at any time. It's vital to know how to spot the signs of a stroke in yourself or someone else.

The FAST acronym (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) is a test to quickly identify the three most common signs of stroke.

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?

𝗔𝗿𝗺 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀:Can the person raise both arms fully and keep them there?

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Is their speech slurred?

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟵𝟵𝟵: If you see any one of these signs.

Remember: 𝗙ace or 𝗔rm or 𝗦peech, at the first sign, it’s 𝗧ime to call 999.

Acting 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧 will give the person having a stroke the best chance of survival and recovery. Even if it doesn’t seem like much, any one of these signs of stroke is an emergency, so always call 999 immediately.

Ambulance paramedics are trained in stroke and will ensure the person receives emergency medical care and specialist treatment.

www.stroke.org.uk/stroke/support

29/04/2026

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 💉
24 - 30 April

Vaccines reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection. When you get a vaccine, your immune system responds.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
Vaccination is the act of receiving a vaccine (injection or oral), while immunisation is the process of the body becoming protected against a disease as a result of that vaccination. Essentially, vaccination is the action, and immunization is the outcome.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿
Infants are highly vulnerable to infection from the moment they are born. While antibodies passed from their mother during pregnancy and through breast milk give them a layer of protection against harmful germs, this immunity only lasts the first few months of life.

Vaccines play a crucial role in safeguarding your child against harmful germs that could cause serious illness or even be life-threatening. For vaccines to work best, they need to be given before your child is exposed to these germs. That’s why most childhood immunizations are planned within the first 12 to 18 months of life.

One of the best ways to keep your child safe is to make sure they get their vaccines on time.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀?
Vaccines are very safe. Like any medicine, vaccines can cause side effects. However, these are usually very minor and of short duration, such as a sore arm or a mild fever. More serious side effects are possible but extremely rare. If you or your child has an unexpected reaction after vaccination, consult with your health-care worker.

A person is far more likely to be seriously harmed by a disease than by a vaccine. Vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, meningitis, hepatitis B or polio can be deadly or cause severe illness and disability. Possible complications of these diseases can include blindness, deafness, paralysis, brain damage, infertility, cancer, birth defects and death.

💉

"Vaccines Explained" is a series of illustrated articles that describe how vaccines work, how they’re developed and distributed and how their safety is carefully monitored. Check the pages in the link below to learn more⬇

www.who.int/teams/immunization-vaccines-and-biologicals/diseases/explainers

27/04/2026

𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟱𝘀 👶

The Best Start In Life Parent Hub offers useful topics on pregnancy, baby and toddler, bringing together information and support for every stage of your child's early years and beyond.

On Friday 27th March, the government published new, evidence-informed guidance to help parents and carers of children under 5 navigate screen time.

Digital screens are now a normal part of family life. The early years are however critical for development - 90% of a child’s brain development occurs by age 5, making it a critical period for the development of social, emotional and cognitive skills.

Juggling family life and raising children in a digital world can be challenging. Find out more about how to support healthy screen habits for children under 5 by following the link below⬇

www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/screen-time-under-5s/

For further advice and support for your child’s development you can sign up for personalised emails, which are created to support you throughout pregnancy and parenthood.

Once you've signed up, you'll receive regular emails tailored to your stage of pregnancy or your child's age.

www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/best-start-in-life-emails/

22/04/2026

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀' 𝗗𝗮𝘆
22 April 2026

Today is National Administrative Professionals' Day and a chance for us to celebrate our small but skilled admin team who work hard behind the scenes to support our patients and doctors.

Responsible for processing hospital correspondence, medical reports, referrals, payments and all manner of forms, their organisation, coordination and attention to detail is vital to the smooth running of the practice.

We are proud of our administrators who play a crucial role at Lodge Surgery and we say a big thank you to them for all that they do and treat them with cake 🧁👏👏👏

20/04/2026

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸
17 - 22 April

If you have a toothache, you would visit the dentist, if you had trouble with your vision then you would automatically call on an optician. What about your feet?

Many people ignore common foot complaints or indeed serious pain rather than go to see an expert. Podiatrists are there to help with all manner of foot conditions and can usually help resolve minor issues quickly. Problems with the feet can be an indication of other health issues and so it’s important to take care of our feet as we would our teeth and eyes.

Make National Feet Week a time to have your feet checked or to get that niggling issue sorted and make your feet your priority – after all they take you anywhere you want to go.

When to Contact the NHS:

👣If you have a condition like diabetes that affects your feet.

👣If you experience persistent foot pain, severe hard skin, or problems with your toenails.

Many NHS areas have podiatry hubs that allow for direct self-referral, reducing the need for a GP appointment.

Find a Podiatrist near you by following the NHS link below⬇

www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-health-services/podiatrists-and-chiropodists/results?location=SN15

The NHS website can give you further information on many foot issues including:

🦶Flat feet

👣Smelly feet

🦶Swollen ankles, feet and legs (oedema)

👣Athlete's foot

🦶Swollen ankles, feet and fingers in pregnancy

www.nhs.uk/search/results?q=feet&p=0

16/04/2026

Su***de Bereavement Support Service from Swindon and Gloucester Mind, available to patients across Swindon and Wiltshire.

GPs are often a first point of contact for individuals following a sudden death. Those bereaved by su***de may present with complex grief, trauma or mental health concerns.

Su***de Bereavement Support Service provides free, confidential one-to-one emotional support alongside practical guidance following su***de.

📞01793 547150
📧su***debereavement@sgmind.org.uk

13/04/2026

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵
April

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your to-do list seems endless, deadlines are fast approaching and you find yourself saying ‘Eek! I feel stressed!’?

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘴?

Stress is primarily a physical response. When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for physical action. This causes a number of reactions, from blood being diverted to muscles to shutting down unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion.

The ‘fight or flight’ mode can still help us survive dangerous situations, such as reacting swiftly to a person running in front of our car by slamming on the brakes.

The challenge is when our body goes into a state of stress in inappropriate situations. When blood flow is going only to the most important muscles needed to fight or flee, brain function is minimised. This can lead to an inability to ‘think straight’. If we are kept in a state of stress for long periods, it can be detrimental to our health.

𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
When your body goes into a state of stress, we may feel agitated and aggressive towards others; this can be due to our bodies’ natural reaction being “fight”. This can be a helpful reaction to ward off predators, but in unnecessary situations, it can negatively affect relationships and ruin reputations.

𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
Some of us avoid our stressors, removing ourselves from the situation instead of tackling it. This can be a sign of the “flight” survival instinct; a function that can save our lives if we find ourselves in dangerous surroundings. However, in everyday life, this natural instinct can lead to a stressful situation escalating, and increase our stress levels when we realise that the stressor isn’t going away and we need to face it.

𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲
Unknown by many, there is a third mode that stress can cause; freeze. For some people, becoming stressed sets the stage for ‘dysregulation’. The energy mobilised by the perceived threat gets “locked” into the nervous system and we ‘freeze’. This response sometimes reveals itself when we breathe. Holding our breath and shallow breathing are both forms of freeze. The occasional deep sigh is the nervous system catching up on its oxygen intake.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁
The stress test is a valuable tool designed to help individuals assess their current levels of stress and understand how it may affect their daily lives. This test consists of a series of questions that explore various aspects of a person’s emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

The ultimate goal of this stress test is to help people recognise their stress levels and encourage them to take proactive steps towards building resilience. Whether through mindfulness practices, lifestyle adjustments, or professional support, understanding one’s stress levels is the first step toward achieving a healthier, more balanced life.

Once you have completed your Stress Test you will find tools and tips to help you live a more stress-free life.
⬇
www.stress.org.uk/individual-stress-test/