Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:

• Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
• Insurance claim forms
• Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
• Private sick notes
• Vaccination certificates

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.

Please note that the Doctors at this Practice are neither trained nor indemnified to verify that a person is fit to fly or fit to participate in any sort of sporting activity.  They can state facts e.g. that a patient has asthma or is pregnant or has had a heart attack, but they cannot definitively state that someone is fit to fly or to take part in a marathon or other such sporting events.

You will need to be referred for a blood test or X-ray by either a doctor or a nurse. They will discuss this with you and provide the required paperwork for the procedure needed. You will need to speak to the Doctor before attending for a blood test so a form can be completed for the type of test needed for your symptoms.  Please do not make an appointment with the Nurse if you do not know what tests are needed, or if you want a blood test to check for symptoms not discussed with a clinician.

You must be referred by the doctor for an x-ray, and a signed form must be taken to your appointment.  If you do not have the form, or this is not signed by the doctor, then x-ray most likely will not be carried out.  Please ensure you have the right information before you attend so there are no problems when you get to your appointment.

Blood tests are carried out at the surgery by our phlebotomists and Practice Nurses. They are usually carried out in the morning so they can be collected at midday and taken straight to the hospital. However, if you are unable to come at these times, please ask at reception who will advise you further.  Please note, phlebotomists cannot provide any advice on medical conditions or carry out any other tests other than the ones stated on the blood form.  For any other medical issues, please speak to the Practice Nurse or make an appointment with a GP.

If you have recently seen the Doctor or Nurse, they may require you to have a blood test to have further investigations carried out.  We have 2 Practice Nurses and 2 Phlebotomists available for blood tests, but Tuesday and Thursday mornings are when the blood clinics are usually available.  Samples are normally taken in the morning so they will be picked up at lunch time.  Depending on the tests being carried out, these cannot always be kept overnight, and samples cannot be taken on a Friday afternoon.

Please ensure when you call to make your appointment, that you have a blood form from the hospital or one has been done for you before you attend.  It is not always obvious what the test is that you require but this information appears on the test form.  Unfortunately, you cannot just attend for a blood sample without seeing the Doctor to advise what tests are needed.

The Tuesday and Thursday clinics are usually filled for the morning, so it is important you arrive on time for your appointment.  If you arrive late, it may not be possible to see you as planned, and you may be asked to rebook or to wait past your appointment time.  If you know that it is difficult to get a blood sample from your veins, please let us know when making your appointment so we can allocate you a longer appointment to accommodate this and prevent patients after you being kept waiting.  The same applies if you know you are likely to faint, have a needle phobia, or any other issues that may require extra time.

Where possible, please have a drink on the morning of your appointment, as it may help the nurses get a sample easier if you are hydrated.

If you need any other information, please do not hesitate to contact us at Reception.

The practice nurses carry out the smear tests within the surgery unless a doctor is specifically requested. The practice follows the National policy of carrying out smear tests every three years unless there is a previous history of abnormal smears. Reminder letters that smear tests are due are sent out centrally and not from this practice. Please do not make an appointment for a routine repeat smear test until you have received the letter as the laboratory will not test smears taken before the 3rd anniversary of your last smear (unless there have been previous abnormal smears).

All family planning methods can be discussed at the surgery with the doctors or nurse practitioner. Any ladies who are wishing to have a removal of the IUD will need to contact the Family Planning Centre at Royal Bolton Hospital on 01204 390771. They can offer appointments both at the hospital and at Lever Chambers.  However, you can still discuss any contraception methods with the nurse or the Doctor.

The practice nurse will discuss with you your current lifestyle including your family history and will take your blood pressure and possible blood tests if necessary. She will offer you advice regarding a healthy lifestyle. The consultations take 30 minutes.

Some infectious diseases can be fatal to children or cause lasting damage to their health. Your child’s immune system needs help to fight those diseases.  Immunisation gives protection against some known infectious diseases. Vaccines stimulate the body to produce antibodies that fight infection. Immunisation is also known as “vaccination”, “jab” or “injection”.

Due to the high number of children receiving vaccinations over the past couple of decades, many serious childhood infectious diseases have disappeared altogether, like diptheria, polio, or tetanus or been dramatically reduced, such as measles and whooping cough.

We fully support the childhood vaccination programme and we encourage parents to get their children vaccinated when these are offered. More information can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them/ which shows the full schedule of immunisations from newborns to teenagers.

You can also speak to the Practice Nurse or your health visitors for further information.

If you have been asked by the GP to provide a sample for a FIT test (a sample that is used to test for any blood in you stools), then please click on the link below for full instructions now how to collect and handle your sample (this opens in a new window).

FIT Patient Instructions

Below there is also a video on how to collect and handle your sample for the same test. This will also give you a guide and information about the test (this will also open in a new window).

FIT Test sample video

For all samples, please ensure that you bring these in before 12.30pm Monday to Friday as the samples get collected at lunchtime to go to the labs for testing. Not all samples can be kept overnight, and we cannot accept samples after this time on a Friday afternoon as they will not keep over the weekend. In this instance, we will provide you with a new sample collection kit and you will need to provide another sample for another day in the week.

If you have any queries, please contact reception on 463232.