Nant Dowlais Health Centre

04/02/2026

Final flu vaccines available for this season 💉

If you are eligible and haven’t yet had your flu jab, please contact the practice as soon as possible to book an appointment.

Thanks

27/01/2026

The phone lines are up and running, we ask for your patience whilst we try and catch up with the call queue.
Many thanks

21/01/2026

It's Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. The symptoms of cervical cancer aren’t always obvious, the most common symptoms are:

- Vaginal bleeding that's unusual for you - after menopause, between regular periods or after s*x
- Unexplained pain in your lower back or between your hip bones (pelvis)
- Pain or discomfort during s*x
- Changes to vaginal discharge like a change to smell

If you have any of these symptoms, it is important that you see your GP, even if you have recently had a clear cervical screening test. It’s usually something minor, but early checks give the best chance for successful treatment.

Knowing what to look out for is really important.

19/01/2026

16/01/2026

❗ With immediate effect, due to the significant number of Norovirus cases across patients and staff, we are now introducing visiting with a purpose at the Royal Gwent Hospital. ❗ We currently have 90 patients and 28 staff members affected.

Norovirus spreads very easily and can have a serious impact on vulnerable patients and the safe running of our services. We know Norovirus is circulating across our communities and we need everyone's support to keep our hospitals safe.

This decision to introduce visiting with a purpose has not been taken lightly, but it is necessary to protect the health of our patients and staff and to reduce further transmission of norovirus, which is circulating across Gwent.

We ask that everyone contact the ward before visiting. Visitors who arrive without prior contact may be turned away.
If you are visiting any of our sites, it is essential that you do not have any of the following symptoms:
- Sickness or diarrhoea
- A cough
- Cold or flu-like symptoms
If you have experienced any of the above symptoms, please do not visit any of our hospitals or sites until at least 48 hours after symptoms have fully resolved.

If visiting any site, it is important that you:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
- Wear a mask at all times

Visiting with a purpose includes essential wellbeing needs such as delivering fresh clothing and personal items, supporting mental wellbeing, and end-of-life care. If you are unsure whether your visit is appropriate, please speak to the ward team, who can advise you.

Anyone with an appointment should still attend unless they are displaying symptoms.

How you can help to ease the pressure on our local NHS services:

Choose the right service for your needs – our Emergency Department is for life-threatening emergencies only. For other care, please consider:
-Local pharmacies for expert advice and treatment
-NHS 111 online or by phone for urgent advice
-Minor Injury Units for broken bones, wounds, burns, and minor head injuries (find your nearest MIU: https://orlo.uk/nyRTE)

Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us keep our patients and staff safe during this challenging time.

14/01/2026

💉 Do you know about the HPV vaccine? 💉

10/01/2026

As a result of sustained pressure and risk throughout the hospital system over the last week, we have declared a Critical Incident this afternoon.

We have taken this decision as our services are currently experiencing exceptional demand due to a combination of increased emergency attendances of very sick patients and an increase in the number of patients who are delayed in hospital awaiting discharge.

We continue to ask for your support by only attending if it is life threatening, or you have a very serious injury.

If you need medical help, please think carefully about the services you choose. Choosing the right place to receive advice and care will help us ensure that our Hospitals are not overwhelmed and enable us to provide timely treatment for patients most in need.

Please consider visiting your local pharmacy, your GP, visit https://orlo.uk/oW1W1 or call NHS 111 for advice. You can also ring 111 if you need to access urgent primary care when your own GP surgery is closed.

Our Minor Injury Units treat a range of injuries, such as:
- Limb injuries, which include broken bones (fractures) and minor joint dislocations
- Wounds, grazes, & minor burns
- Head injuries, provided there is no loss of consciousness or taking blood thinning drugs
- Face injuries, provided there is no loss of consciousness

Find your nearest Minor Injury Unit: https://orlo.uk/1sNK3

You can also find the details of alternative services by visiting our online Gwent Health Guide: https://orlo.uk/j6YV5

Thank you for your ongoing support in these challenging times for our NHS. We will keep you updated over the coming days.

09/01/2026

📌 IMPORTANT NOTICE – ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY 📌

Nant Dowlais Health Centre is aware of recent social media comments that have named individual members of our staff. These personal comments have caused distress and are unacceptable.

We operate a Zero Tolerance Policy towards abusive, disrespectful, or defamatory behaviour, including online.

While we understand the frustration many patients feel around an underfunded primary care system, our staff and our GP colleagues across Torfaen work extremely hard to ensure patients are treated with care, professionalism, and compassion.

Staff have the right to work without fear of harassment or personal attack.

Concerns about our services should be raised through our formal complaints process and not via social media.

Further inappropriate posts may result in action in line with NHS Wales guidance.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Dr L M Allen and Partners

08/01/2026

🩺 Practice Nurse Appointments Available 🩺

Appointments available next week and over the coming weeks for smears, Depo, Prostap, RSV, Flu, respiratory and diabetic reviews.

📞 If you’d like to book, or bring an existing appointment forward, please call the practice or speak to reception.

06/01/2026

A vaccination programme to protect young children against chickenpox is being rolled out in Wales from today 🛡️.

All children aged 12 to 18 months across the UK will be offered a vaccine for chickenpox - also known as Varicella – for the first time.

The vaccine will be offered in a two-dose programme at 12 and 18 months of age using a combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine.

A catch-up programme for older children up to six-years-old will be offered later in the year.

Read more here: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/mmr/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=public+health+wales&utm_term=01774776-ae2d-41e2-864f-bbf24c4dd298&utm_content=&utm_campaign=

23/12/2025

Looking ahead to 2026 at Nant Dowlais✨

As we look forward to 2026, we’re pleased to share some positive developments coming up for our patients and our practice team. Over the coming year, we’ll be focusing on:

✔️ Welcoming Nurse Emily back from maternity leave in January
✔️ Welcoming Dr Charlie Williams back from maternity leave in February
✔️ Welcoming Katie, our new Practice Nurse, starting in January
✔️ Two new final-year GP Registrars joining us in February, supporting both access and continuity
✔️ Ongoing improvements to patient access and appointment availability

General practice continues to evolve, and these changes will help us strengthen our team and continue to provide high-quality, compassionate care for our community.

🎄 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🎄
Thank you for your continued support — we’re looking forward to what 2026 will bring. 💙