News:

Out of Hours
If you have an urgent medical problem "out of hours", please ring the Health Centre on 08444 771 772. When the Health Centre is closed, you will hear a message advising you to choose from 3 options.

If you need medical advice, Option 1 takes you to the NHS Direct help line. Experienced nurses will assess your medical condition and, if the problem is urgent, arrange for Local Care Direct (the local GP out of hours emergency service) to contact you.

If you need urgent medical assistance, Option 3 will connect you straight to Local Care Direct.

Appointments
All routine doctors' surgeries are by appointment. You can make an appointment by calling in, by telephoning during normal surgery hours. We also offer online booking of appointments.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

Yahoo Health

Study: 1 in 7 home kitchens would flunk inspection (AP)

AP - A new study suggests that at least one in seven home kitchens would flunk the kind of health inspection commonly administered to restaurants.

Botox maker to pay $600M to resolve investigation (AP)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Wednesday, Sep. 1, 2010, regarding a major settlement with a pharmaceutical company for False Claims Act and off-label marketing violations. Allergan Inc., the maker of wrinkle-smoothing Botox, has agreed to pay $600 million to settle a years long federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulin-based drug. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

AP - Allergan Inc., the maker of wrinkle-smoothing Botox, has agreed to pay $600 million to settle a yearslong federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulin-based drug.

New test seen as big advance in diagnosing TB (AP)

This undated photo released by Cepheid, shows a Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF cartridge. The cartridge is part of a test that is a major advance in diagnosing tuberculosis and can reveal in less than two hours, with very high accuracy, whether someone has the disease and if it's resistant to the main drug for treating it. (AP Photo/Cepheid) NO SALES

AP - Scientists are reporting a major advance in diagnosing tuberculosis: A new test can reveal in less than two hours, with very high accuracy, whether someone has the disease and if it's resistant to the main drug for treating it.

Journal editors question sale of diet pill Meridia (AP)

AP - Editors of a top medical journal call Meridia "another flawed diet pill" and question whether it should stay on the market as a study shows it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart problems.

Benefits seen for high-risk women in ovary removal (AP)

AP - Surgery to remove healthy ovaries gives a triple benefit to high-risk women: It lowers their threat of breast and ovarian cancer, and boosts their chances of living longer, new research suggests.

Double hand transplant patient shows new hands (AP)

AP - The recipient of a rare double hand transplant says he feels "fantastic" and can wiggle fingers on both his new hands.

Americans blind to the obesity epidemic (HealthDay)

HealthDay - THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Many Americans have skewed perceptions when it comes to their weight, often believing they are lighter than they actually are, even when the scales are shouting otherwise, a new poll finds.

For Bonobo Males, Mom Is the Best Wingman (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - To most human males, the thought of your mother anywhere near your sex life is probably horrifying. Not so for the bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives. A new study confirms that hanging out with mom boosts male bonobos' chances of getting intimate with a fertile female.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 2, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Indonesia's smoking toddler kicks habit (AFP)

Two-year-old Indonesian boy Ardi Rizal puffs on a cigarette in the yard of his family home in Sumatra. A two-year-old Indonesian boy who smoked about 40 cigarettes a day has kicked the habit after receiving intensive specialist care, a child welfare official has said.(AFP/Ahmad Naafi/SRIWIJAYA POST/File)

AFP - A two-year-old Indonesian boy who smoked about 40 cigarettes a day has kicked the habit after receiving intensive specialist care, a child welfare official said Thursday.

MedPage Today

Rapid TB Test Shows High Accuracy (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A two-hour molecular diagnostic test detected tuberculosis bacteria, including rifampin-resistant strains, with sensitivity and specificity well over 90%, researchers found.

Attitudes More than Growth Response Drive Growth Hormone Therapy (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- While a physician's decision to start a child on growth hormone is usually consistent with evidence-based guidelines, continuation or intensification of therapy is strongly influenced by factors other than treatment response, according to a new survey.

ESC: Novel Agent Blocks Hyperkalemia in Heart Failure (CME/CE)

STOCKHOLM (MedPage Today) -- An investigational potassium binder prevented hyperkalemia in at-risk patients with heart failure, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial showed.

Increased Cardiac Events Seen With Sibutramine (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Overweight patients with cardiovascular risks who took the weight-loss drug sibutramine had an increased likelihood of experiencing a cardiac event, a large randomized trial found.

Few Conn. Physicians Treat Chronic Lyme Disease

(MedPage Today) -- Only a very small number of physicians in Connecticut -- the epicenter of Lyme disease -- diagnose and treat patients with the controversial chronic form of this tick-borne infection, a survey found.

Spoonful of Sugar Debunked as Baby Painkiller (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Sugar given to blunt pain in newborns undergoing invasive procedures may only mask signs of distress, researchers found.

ESC: Pre-Procedure Statins May Cut MI Risk (CME/CE)

STOCKHOLM (MedPage Today) -- Statins delivered before invasive procedures appear to reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events, a meta-analysis showed.

(MedPage Today) -- Patients with bulky, advanced ovarian cancer survived just as long whether treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery or with primary surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, investigators in a multinational trial reported.

Tight BP Control Flops for Most CKD Patients (CME/CE, with audio)

(MedPage Today) -- Intensive blood pressure control doesn't slow progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in hypertensive patients overall but may help those with baseline proteinuria, according to a randomized trial.

'Brain Exercise' May Worsen Existing Alzheimer's (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Keeping mentally active may help stave off Alzheimer's disease, but once patients are diagnosed with the condition, "brain exercise" may actually speed up cognitive decline, researchers said -- adding that that may not be a bad thing.

WHO Swine Flu

Influenza - update 115

Worldwide, H1N1 2009 virus transmission remains most intense in parts of India and in parts of the temperate southern hemisphere, particularly New Zealand and more recently in Australia.

Influenza - update 114

The situation in New Zealand and India remains largely unchanged since the last update. Influenza H1N1 (2009) virus transmission remains locally intense in parts of India and New Zealand.

Influenza - update 113

Influenza H1N1 (2009) virus transmission remains locally intense in parts of India and New Zealand.

Director-General statement following the ninth meeting of the Emergency Committee

The Emergency Committee held its ninth meeting by teleconference on 10 August 2010.

WHO recommendations for the post-pandemic period

The world is now in the post-pandemic period. Based on knowledge about past pandemics, the H1N1 (2009) virus is expected to continue to circulate as a seasonal virus for some years to come. While the level of concern is now greatly diminished, vigilance on the part of national health authorities remains important. Such vigilance is especially critical in the immediate post-pandemic period, when the behaviour of the H1N1 (2009) virus as a seasonal virus cannot be reliably predicted.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 112

As of 1 August 2010, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18449 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 111

As of 25 July 2010, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18398 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 110

As of 18 July 2010, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18366 deaths.

Monitoring patterns and levels of worldwide activity

As part of regular monitoring of H1N1 pandemic influenza, the WHO is in close dialogue with public health experts in countries worldwide, specifically to determine whether H1N1 activity has returned to levels and patterns normally seen for seasonal flu.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 109

As of 12 July, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18337deaths.

Welcome to Elmwood Health Centre

Reception Opening Times:

Monday - Friday 08:00 - 18:30

Appointments are available throughout the above times

We also open until 20:00 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for pre-booked appointments only.

For all appointments, home visits, and in emergencies:

TELEPHONE: 08444 771 772

Be prepared to give name and date of birth of patient, full address and telephone number, and a brief indication of the nature and urgency of the problems to enable your doctor to decide how best to deal with your problem. If it might be a heart attack or stroke, ring 999.

Online Appointments and Repeats -

Please note that in order to use the following functions you need to register in person at the surgery and present photo-identification (such as photo driving licence, passport or other officially recognised documents). You may not register for other people (including children) except under exceptional circumstances. Please see the Practice Policy.

Click here to order your repeat prescription online

Click here to book/cancel your appointment online

We aim to care for all your health needs, and we hope to use our surgery website as a way of presenting all our patients with an up-to-date resource for all information relating to our practice. We shall update it with any news, developments & details that are relevant to the practice & our patients.

Commercial callers please note: we do not accept "cold call" marketing and the above telephone number is registered with the Telephone Preference Service.

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct

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