Services For Adults
Our adult health services include vaccinations, family planning and maternity services.
Vaccinations
Family Planning
Maternity Services
Vaccinations
It's not just children that need immunisations, adults need to keep theirs up to date as well.
The following are common immunisations that adults should consider. Everybody needs to make sure they keep their tetanus up to date, and certain groups of people need some of the others as well.
Travel Immunisations
We offer the full range of travel vaccinations, including Yellow Fever, and our nursing staff are always happy to advise on the requirements for your trip. They will also advise on malaria prevention, and other health issues which may be relevant to your journey.
You may find this site useful when planning a trip abroad: http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/
Please note that you should attend for travel vaccinations at least 4 weeks in advance for immunity to develop.
Some vaccinations will require boosters before you travel, so please always consult the nurse at the earliest opportunity after you have planned your journey.
Tetanus
Tetanus is a germ that is caught when a wound becomes contaminated by soil. It is serious and around half those infected die. The wound may only be trivial, such as a prick from a thorn. It doesn't matter how old you are or how often you have been cut, you never develop immunity to tetanus naturally.
All you need is a course of three injections a month apart, then a booster every 10 years. Don't wait until you get a cut because the vaccine isn't effective until you have had the full course.
Adult Tetanus boosters are now combined with diphtheria vaccine to keep up immunity against this other disease.
Polio
If you look after a baby that has just had its polio immunisation there is a small risk that you can catch polio from the faeces (poo) when you change the nappy. For this reason it is worth making sure your polio is up to date. It is also a good idea to have it for travel abroad outside Western Europe, check with our practice nurses who have up to date information.
Flu
Everyone over the age of 65 is entitled to a free flu injection every year. This has been shown to reduce the number of people that need to go into hospital or that die from flu.
The virus that causes flu changes frequently so you need to have a flu injection every year to get protected against the latest variety.
People in certain high risk groups also need to be immunised, those with the following conditions:
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Diabetes
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People with asthma who use steroid inhalers or who often have courses of steroids by mouth, or who have been in hospital because of their asthma
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COPD (chronic bronchitis and emphysema)
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Kidney disease
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Heart disease
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Poor immunity due to long-term treatment with steroids, or treatment for cancer such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Finally medical staff, nurses, ambulance drivers and those who look after others in nursing and residential homes should have the vaccine.
Pneumonia
Everyone over the age of 65 is advised to have a pneumonia vaccination. The vaccine protects against a very common kind of pneumonia caused by the pneumococcus germ.
Usually this is a "once only" injection though a few people need a booster after five years, for example some people with reduced immunity or who have no spleen.
Those without a spleen (or a spleen that isn't working properly) also need the Hib vaccine and meningitis C.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus which is transmitted sexually or through blood from a carrier (who may appear healthy). It is a lot more infectious than HIV (the virus that causes AIDs). It can kill around half those who develop hepatitis, and others may become carriers of the disease.
People who may come into contact with blood because of their occupation, such as health care workers, police or firemen should have a course of hepatitis B vaccine followed by a blood test three months later to check that it has been effective. Boosters are needed every five years.
Hepatitis B is common in institutions caring for those with mental impairment. It can be transmitted by biting, so those working with these people also need to be immunised. Gay men and drug injectors may also be at risk of hepatitis B and should consider whether they need immunising.
Family Planning
We offer the full range of contraceptive methods, including contraceptive injections, the ‘pill’ (combined oral contraceptive), the ‘mini-pill’ (progesterone-only oral contraceptive), coils (including the new hormonal coil, or intra-uterine system), emergency contraception, barrier methods and advice/referral for sterilisation.
We are also very happy to provide contraceptive services and advice to teenagers.
The same rules of confidentiality apply to teenagers, as with adults - in other words, if a you wish a medical consultation to be secret from your parents, the doctor or nurse has to respect this wish.
Also, you do not have to tell the reception staff why you wish to see us.
Maternity Services
The midwives and doctors share a programme of regular checks on women who are pregnant, or who have recently given birth.
As soon as you know you are pregnant, make a routine (not emergency) appointment to see your doctor. Please note that we do not routinely do tests to confirm pregnancy, as the pregnancy-testing kits available in chemists are every bit as accurate as the hospital urine tests. The doctor will work out your dates, and give you some basic information, including the schedule of antenatal checks, blood tests and scans. You will then be asked to see the midwife for a ‘booking’ at 7-8 weeks (from your last period).
The ‘booking’ appointment is probably the most important. It is usually an hour long and as well as providing you with a large quantity of booklets and information on your pregnancy, the midwife arranges your first blood tests (to be done at 16 weeks) and ultrasound scans (at 10 weeks and 19-20 weeks).
In an uneventful pregnancy, antenatal checks follow at 18, 24, 28, 32, 36, 38, 40 (the due date for your baby) and 41 weeks, if you get that far. The 18 week check is with the GP and subsequent checks alternate with the midwife. At each check they will test your urine for sugar and protein, do a blood pressure and check on your baby, as well as deal with any questions or problems you may have.
Please remember to bring a urine sample to each antenatal check and, if you are seeing the doctor, make sure you tell the receptionist when you book the appointment that it is for an antenatal check (antenatals are given longer appointments, and different records have to be given to the doctor).
After your baby is born, the midwife will see you both regularly for the first two weeks, and then hand over your care to your health visitor. At about 6-8 weeks after delivery you should see the doctor for a postnatal check and your baby’s second child health check (the first is done in the first couple of days after delivery, usually by the hospital doctor).
Again, when booking this appointment, make sure you tell the receptionist it is for a postnatal check - The appointment has to be at least 30 minutes long.
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