Services

The Respiratory Clinics are lead by Nurse Jo Bendell. In these clinics the specialist Asthma and COPD nurses monitor patients who have asthma, COPD or episodes of recurring wheeze. The aim is to provide the most appropriate treatment to relieve and prevent symptoms. We recommend that patients with asthma and COPD are seen at least once a year at the clinic, regardless of whether they attend the Chest Clinic at St Richards.

An excellent website for asthma sufferers is Asthma and Lung UK.

If appropriate, we will send written invitations to patients to attend an annual check-up. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend an appointment we would very much appreciate you contacting the surgery to cancel or re-arrange the appointment. Other patients may benefit from the released appointment.

Help us prepare in advance for your review by completing our online form on Accurx prior to your usual review with a Clinician.

This clinic is for anyone who has had a heart problem (e.g. has had a heart attack, test or has angina) or blood pressure problem. The aim is to prevent any further complications from the condition. Patients are invited to attend a six-monthly or annual checkup as appropriate. We monitor weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure along with other factors such as exercise, smoking and alcohol intake.

The clinic is also an opportunity to assess people who have borderline blood pressures to help make the decision as to whether they should take any medication. Patients taking medication will usually have their blood pressure measured six-monthly along with the annual check. Ample opportunity is given to discuss medication.

If appropriate, we will send written invitations to patients to attend a six-monthly or annual checkup. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend an appointment we would very much appreciate you contacting the surgery to cancel or re-arrange the appointment. Other patients may benefit from the released appointment.

Help us prepare in advance for your review by completing our online form on Accurx prior to your usual review with a Clinician.

Childhood immunisations, also known as vaccinations, are a critically important way of protecting your child from the most serious diseases. Many illnesses, which used to kill children, have been virtually eradicated because of immunisation. However, that does not mean you should not get your children vaccinated to protect them too.

What is a vaccine?

Vaccines may consist of a preparation of any of the following:

• a killed virus or bacterium
• detoxified toxins from a virus or bacterium
• a weakened form of a live virus or bacterium

They all work by stimulating the immune system in the same way as the actual infection would, but without causing the full-blown disease. Your immune system is designed to “remember” so once exposed to a particular bacterium or virus, it retains immunity against it for years, decades or even a lifetime.

We provide the standard regime of childhood vaccinations for all of our young patients. For further information on childhood immunisations see the NHS immunisation scheme. A summary of what vaccinations are given and when can be found at Patient UK. Also see our Home Page for monthly child immunisation clinic dates.

Diabetic patients are seen by Sue Bardall, our Diabetic Lead or Mandy Clements, our visiting Diabetic Nurse Specialist.

It is important to note that hospital-based diabetic clinics have moved away from full annual checks to a problem-solving approach. Therefore, even if you have been to a hospital clinic for an annual review, they are unlikely to have performed the complete range of tests that are recommended for annual follow-up. We very strongly encourage you to come to the annual check regardless of whether you have been seen in hospital.

Our practice team are always at hand to help you manage your diabetes effectively.

If appropriate, we will send written invitations to patients to attend an annual or six-monthly checkup. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend an appointment we would very much appreciate you contacting the surgery to cancel or re-arrange the appointment. Other patients may benefit from the released appointment.

Contraception allows people to choose when and if they want to have a baby. There are several types of contraception, which work in different ways. Most contraceptives are designed for use by women. However, the male condom remains a popular choice.

Before recommending a contraceptive, your Doctor will assess your age, medical history and sexual lifestyle. No contraceptive is 100% reliable and some have side effects. It is important to consider these factors when deciding what sort of protection to use.

You may need to change your contraception as you get older, after having children or if your sexual lifestyle changes. It is worth remembering that the male condom is the only form of contraception that also protects you from sexually transmitted diseases. In all cases contraceptive methods are more reliable if used properly.

All the practice doctors and nurses offer advice about family planning, including the pill. Coils can be fitted in the surgery, but you should discuss this with Dr Rhianydd Mcglone at a normal surgery appointment first.

Regular Contraception

Regular planned contraception is the simplest, most efficient way to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.

There is lots of good information on family planning on the FPA website, which contains a range of leaflets explaining more about all of the forms of hormonal, intrauterine, barrier and permanent forms of contraception.

Emergency Contraception

If you think you may be at risk of an unwanted pregnancy following recent intercourse, the practice can provide emergency contraception. Common circumstances when this is possible include missed contraceptive pills, condom leakage or unplanned sexual intercourse.

If you had intercourse within 72 hours then the morning-after pill is usually appropriate and can be prescribed by either our nurses or doctors. However, if it is more than 72 hours but less then 5 days, or you are not suitable for the morning-after pill, a copper coil (intra-uterine device) may be appropriate instead.

The morning-after pill is more effective the sooner it is taken. It can also be obtained directly from pharmacies without seeing a doctor or nurse, so you may choose not to delay in obtaining it from us.  It is free from a chemist for 13-21 year olds; for older patients a fee is charged.

We frequently inject joints as part of a management plan for many musculoskeletal conditions including shoulders, tennis elbow, wrists, carpal tunnel, trigger finger, heels, ankles and feet. Just discuss this with your usual doctor who will arrange it for you.

See our Non NHS Services

The Practice is equipped to carry out a range of minor surgical procedures including:

• Cryotherapy – for warts
• Excision of skin lesions
• Cautery
• Joint Injections
• In-growing toe nail removal

Please see your Doctor for suitability. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend an appointment we would very much appreciate you contacting the surgery to cancel or re-arrange the appointment. Other patients may benefit from the released appointment.

In addition to the standard childhood vaccinations, we offer the following vaccinations as required.

If, for any reason, you are unable to attend an appointment we would very much appreciate you contacting the surgery to cancel or re-arrange the appointment. Other patients may benefit from the released appointment.

Influenza

Influenza is a viral disease that usually strikes between October and May. It lasts from three to five days and can be followed by fatigue for two or three weeks. It usually causes aching muscles and joints, headaches, cough and fever with a temperature of between 38oand 40oC. Although it can become a much more severe illness, leading to pneumonia, nerve and brain damage and even death, such complications are rare. Because it is a viral infection it cannot be treated with antibiotics. The best remedy is rest while drinking plenty of fluids. 

Every winter we offer flu vaccination to all our patients who meet the at risk criteria defined by the Department of Health. These are people who:

• Are aged over 65 years old
• Suffer from diabetes (both types 1 and 2)
• Suffer from a chronic respiratory disease including: some forms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, COPD, cystic fibrosis, interstital lung fibrosis, pneumonicosis and BPD
• Suffer from a chronic heart disease including: congenital heart disease, hypertension with cardiac complications, chronic heart failure, angina, previous heart attack or other forms of IHD
• Suffer from a chronic renal disease including: nephrotic syndrome, chronic renal failure and renal transplantation
• Suffer from chronic liver disease including: cirrhosis of the liver
• Suffer from immunosupression including: those undergoing long term immunosupressant therapy, asplenia, splenic dysfunction, HIV and ongoing chemotherapy

The rules laid down by the Department of Health state that if you do not fall in to an at risk group, we are not permitted to provide vaccination under the NHS. However, you can obtain a private vaccination and many businesses now provide this facility for their staff.

If you fall within an at risk group you are entitled to come in for a flu vaccination. We strongly recommend that you attend.

Pneumococcal Vaccination

Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by a type of bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. When these bacteria invade the lungs, they cause the most common kind of bacterial pneumonia and can then invade the bloodstream and/or the tissues and fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord causing meningitis. Another common complication is infection of the middle ear.

If you aged 65 or over you can now have the pneumococcal vaccination to protect against the most serious forms of pneumococcal infection. You won’t need it each year and for most it’s a one-off vaccination.

You can also have this vaccination if:

• you don’t have a spleen, or if your spleen doesn’t work properly
• your immune system doesn’t work properly (due to HIV, chemotherapy etc)
• you have chronic disease of the heart, lungs, liver or kidneys
• you have diabetes

Shingles

The shingles vaccination programme has been expanded in September 2023 to protect more people at an earlier age. Those newly eligible for a shingles vaccine include all those turning 65 and 70 from 1 September 2023 and those aged 50 and over who have a severely weakened immune system. Those aged 70-79 remain eligible for the vaccine.

One in 5 people will go on to develop shingles in their lifetime and symptoms of the disease can include blindness, hearing loss, nerve pain and in some cases, death. Shingles can occur at any age, but the risk and severity of shingles increases with age and complications are higher in individuals who have severely weakened immune systems and those who are older.

In the first five years after a shingles vaccine was introduced in England in 2013, there were 45,000 fewer GP consultations and 1,840 fewer hospitalisations for shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia, showing the overall impact of the programme in protecting the public while freeing up NHS capacity.

Please see the table to see when you will be eligible. 

The shingles vaccine is given as an injection into the upper arm. Unlike the flu vaccine, you'll only need to have the vaccination once and you can have it at any time of the year.

Most people will only need 1 dose, but some people who cannot have the routine vaccine for health reasons will need 2 doses.

The shingles vaccine is expected to reduce your risk of getting shingles. If you do go on to have the disease, your symptoms may be milder and the illness shorter.

It's fine to have the shingles vaccine if you've already had shingles. The shingles vaccine works very well in people who have had shingles before, and it will boost your immunity against further shingles attacks. Your GP will tell you how long to wait after you recover from shingles before having the shingles vaccine. This may be up to 1 year.

Covid Vaccination

We do not offer these at Langley House but please book an appointment at a nearby vaccination centre online

We all know that smoking is one of the most destructive things we can do to our health. However, it is never too late, or too early, to quit smoking.

Chichester Wellbeing are now providing a free stop smoking service. Their Wellbeing Advisors are fully trained smoking cessation practitioners and can give you the advice and support you need to successfully quit.

What they offer

• One-to-one support with a trained Wellbeing Advisor.
• Face-to-face support, as well as phone and text support for a total of up to 12 weeks.
• Access to free Nicotine Replacement Therapy if required.

Contact them

For more information on their stop smoking service, please visit the Chichester Wellbeing website.

See our Travel Vaccinations information

Cervical cancer is largely preventable by regular screening and smear tests every 3 years are recommended for all women aged 24 years and six months to 49 years, and every 5 years for women aged 50 to 64 years. Smears are generally performed by one of our Practice Nurses. In addition, routine health checks such as Blood Pressure Monitoring as well as general advice and guidance on health issues will be given. 

The purpose of a smear test is to take cells from the surface of the cervix. These are then examined under a microscope to detect changes to the cells before they become cancerous. In this way, any abnormal cells can be removed preventatively.

We strongly encourage all women who are aged 24 years and six months or over and who have been sexually active to get their first smear done  and then to re-attend for future routine smears as determined by their last smear results (typically at three year intervals).

Written invitations are sent directly to patients when appropriate. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend an appointment we would very much appreciate you contacting the surgery to cancel or re-arrange the appointment. Other patients may benefit from the released appointment. 

If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby it is recommended that you wait approximately three months after the birth before having your smear, this allows for your cervix to return to normal and alleviate the risk of incorrectly diagnosing abnormal cells.

You will receive the results of your smear in 4-6 weeks.