Pendleside Medical Practice

15/09/2025

🩺 Need to see someone about your health? It might not always be a GP — and that’s a good thing!

When you request an appointment, you might be booked with a nurse, pharmacist, First Contact Physiotherapist, or another trained clinician instead of a GP. Why? Because it means you’ll get the right care, faster.

Our team is made up of a range of healthcare professionals who are all qualified to help with different needs — from minor illnesses to medication reviews and more.

So when our reception team asks a few questions, it’s to make sure you’re booked with the most appropriate person to help you.

💬 Thanks for your understanding — and for helping us help you better.

11/09/2025

🍂 Save the Date: Autumn 2025 Flu & COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics 💉

We’re kicking off our autumn vaccination clinics from 1st October 2025, offering appointments for:

✅ Flu & COVID-19 vaccinations
✅ Flu-only vaccinations

📅 Clinic Dates Available So Far:

Saturday 4th October

Monday 6th to Friday 10th October

Monday 13th to Friday 17th October

Saturday 1st November

🕒 Weekday and Saturday appointments available!
📆 If demand is high, additional clinics will be added in November, dates to be confirmed.

📲 Booking Information:

Patients with a mobile number on record will receive a text with a booking link.

Patients without a mobile number will receive a phone call from our team.

⚠️ We kindly ask that you wait until we contact you to book, to help keep our phone lines free for patients needing urgent medical care.

To check NHS eligibility for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, please refer to our helpful tool included in the images below.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work to protect our community this autumn! 🍁

07/09/2025

🏠🏡Home Visit Requests – Important Information for Housebound Patients👩‍⚕️

We appreciate, as a surgery, that we have a number of patients who are genuinely housebound and rely on home visits for their medical care. If you need an appointment with the GP and you are unable to attend the surgery due to a medical condition or disability, please contact us at 08:00AM, or as early as possible on the day you wish to be seen. You will be allocated a telephone triage slot, during which a GP will call you to assess your situation and arrange a visit as needed.

While we would truly like to be able to visit everyone in their homes, our time and resources are limited, and home visits must be reserved for those who are genuinely unable to leave their home. Unfortunately, we do sometimes find that patients listed as housebound are out with family or attending other appointments at the time of a scheduled visit. While we fully support the importance of social interaction and independence, we are not able to offer home visits to those who can attend the surgery safely.

We have also observed that being placed on the housebound list can, at times, lead patients to become less motivated to stay active or independent. It's important to highlight that maintaining mobility and continuing to attend the surgery when possible has significant benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. We encourage all patients to remain as independent as their circumstances allow, and we are here to support you in doing so.

Thank you for helping us ensure our services are used effectively and fairly.

06/09/2025

05/09/2025

📢 Practice Closure Notice

Pendleside Medical Practice will be closed from 1:00 PM on Wednesday 10th September for essential staff training. We thank all our patients for their understanding and support as we use this time to improve the care we provide.

While we are closed, if you need medical advice, please call NHS 111.
In an emergency, dial 999.

💊 Prescription Reminder

Please ensure you request any prescriptions in good time, especially ahead of our closure, to avoid any delays or disappointment.

Normal services will resume the following day, from 08:00AM.

Please share this information with friends and family.

31/08/2025

😱🐾 The “Sunday Scaries” can feel very real — that uneasy feeling when Monday starts creeping in before the start of a new work or school week.

But here’s the truth 👉 Mondays are rarely as scary as they seem. Most of the time, the worry on Sunday night feels bigger than the reality of Monday itself.

✨ Try these simple tips to ease the Sunday Scaries:
✔️ Plan something small to look forward to on Monday (a walk, a coffee, or catching up with a friend).
✔️ Switch off work emails and focus on rest.
✔️ Write down any tasks before bed so your mind can switch off.
✔️ Remind yourself: it’s just another day, and you’ve handled plenty of Mondays before. 💪

If anxiety about the week ahead is becoming a regular thing—or starting to impact your day-to-day life—here’s a resources that might help:

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/blog/how-to-handle-the-sunday-scaries/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/self-care/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

☀️

19/08/2025

📢 Important update on cervical screening (smear tests)

From 1 July 2025, if you’re aged 25–49 and your screening test shows no high-risk HPV, your next invite will be in 5 years instead of 3.

Why the change?
✅ The NHS now uses a more accurate HPV-first test
✅ Research shows it’s just as safe as 3-year checks
✅ It helps focus care where it’s needed most

👉 Ages 50–64 remain on a 5-year schedule (no change).
👉 If HPV is found, you’ll be invited back sooner or offered treatment.
👉 Screening is for people without symptoms—if you notice anything unusual, don’t wait for your invite, speak to your GP.

💙 Cervical screening saves lives—make sure you keep your contact details up-to-date, so you don’t miss your invite.

Booking your appointment is easy! If you are due your smear test - call our reception on 01200 401680 to arrange. 💗

18/08/2025

🚨 Nationwide Emergency Alert Test — Sunday 7th September, 3pm

The UK’s new emergency alert system will send a loud siren, message, and vibration to every compatible phone even on silent. Survivors of abuse with hidden phones could be put at risk if the device is discovered.

You can opt out in your phone’s settings to protect your safety:
✅ iPhone: Search “Emergency Alerts” in settings → Turn off Severe & Emergency alerts

✅ Android: Search “Emergency Alerts” in settings → Turn off Severe & Emergency alerts (and other threat categories if listed)

18/08/2025

Your 🍋🍋 do a lot—especially when breastfeeding. Keep showing them love with regular self-exams.
👉 Download our free app to learn how: https://bit.ly/3HnAG5N