Phlebotomy Service

Blood tests at the Thetford Healthy Living Centre are by appointment only.

As this is a joint phlebotomy service with School Lane Surgery, we cannot guarantee that you will see a nurse or healthcare assistant from your own practice. By attending the joint phlebotomy service, you are consenting to staff from Grove or School Lane Surgeries accessing your medical records to treat you as a part of this service.

• Antenatal blood tests – These must also be booked in advance. Please request an appointment by visiting our Consulting Room.
• Fasting blood tests – If you have been asked to have a fasting blood test, you should not have any food or drink (except water) from 20:00 the night before.

Please ensure that you request your test results after 14:30, one week after your blood test.

Blood Pressure Monitoring/Height and Weight Measuring

A blood pressure monitoring machine is now available to use in a private side room. Please feel free to take your own blood pressure whenever you wish. You can then hand the reading to the receptionist and your records will be brought up to date. At times, the clinician will also ask you to do this or advise you to complete a Blood Pressure Review.

You may also check your height and weight with the scales and height measure provided in the same room.

Carers

Grove Surgery is very aware of the role that carers play in the community. Due to this, carer’s packs are available on request. If you wish to join our carers’ register, please complete our online Register a Carer form.

We also have a notice board in the surgery alongside the Age Concern information. For further information, please ask reception or see our Carers page.

Children’s Immunisation

Grove Surgery partakes in the national primary childhood immunisation programme with our nursing team administering vaccinations.

The majority of invites for vaccinations will be sent to parents by NHS Norfolk and Waveney Commissioning Support Unit, although we do send some letters ourselves. Please note, the letters you receive will invite you to make an appointment after a certain date. They will not contain the appointment and therefore you will need to contact us when you have received the letters.

A child’s very first vaccinations are administered at the same consultation as the GP completes the postnatal check for mothers.

Appointments for children’s immunisations can be booked in advance. A practice nurse will administer these immunisations. Please note, if you are not the child’s mother or father (this includes a father who is not married to the child’s mother) you will need a signed letter of consent from the child’s mother before the nurse will administer the immunisation.

Asthma

Specialist asthma nurses are available for asthma consultations in ordinary routine surgeries.

Long Term Conditions Clinic (LTC)

Patients with a long term condition such as diabetes, stroke or heart disease will be invited to attend an annual review. If appropriate, a blood request will be generated in your record. You will be sent an invitation letter and you will be asked to have your blood taken prior to your long term condition appointment. We are also able to synchronise your long term condition appointments.

Please visit our Health Review and Assessment Clinic for help with a number of long term health conditions.

Postnatal Mother and Baby Checks

You will be invited to attend an appointment for new mum’s and babies when your child is between six and eight weeks old. At these initial appointments your child’s first immunisations will take place. Please ensure you register your new baby with the surgery as soon as you are able to.

Maternity Care

Maternity care is provided by all of our doctors.

Smoking Cessation Clinic

Please self refer by visiting the Smokefree website or visit your local pharmacy for smoking advice and treatment.

There is also additional help and services available in our Wellbeing Centre.

Cervical Smear Tests

Ladies between the ages of 25-64 will be automatically invited for regular free cervical smear tests. There may be circumstances where a patient has had treatment in which cervical smear test invitations will continue after she reaches the age of 64.

If a patient wishes to continue having cervical smear tests after the age of 64, they can be carried out by the practice nurse in a routine appointment slot. There will be a charge made by the cervical smear testing laboratory and the testing could incur additional charges, both of which has to be paid by the patient at the time of the appointment. Please contact the surgery for further information on charges.

Breast Screening

Ladies between the ages of 50-70 will receive invitations to a specialised screening unit. For Thetford patients, it is usually a mobile unit set up in one of the main supermarket car parks. If you are aged between 50-70 and have not had an invitation for breast screening, please contact the Breast Screening Unit at 01284 713941.

Ladies over 70 are not sent invitations but can continue having breast screening. Please contact the Breast Screening Unit at 01284 713941. There is no charge for the breast screening service.

C-Card Scheme

Free condoms are available via the C-Card Scheme for 13-24 year olds.

Breckland Alliance Sexual Health Service

The Breckland Alliance Sexual Health Service is a service for people who do not have any symptoms or concerns, but who would like to take a sexual health test for peace of mind. Appointments are provided by Grove Surgery and School Lane Surgery and take place Monday to Friday at Thetford Healthy Living Centre. These appointments are accessible by contacting Grove Surgery or School Lane Surgery.

This service is located in Thetford because of concerns raised by Public Health over the high numbers of patients aged over 45, who have been diagnosed with HIV, syphillis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia in the area.

Patients who request the service will be invited to a specialist clinic and given a pack with instructions to test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea. Blood tests for HIV and syphilis are also carried out at this time.

Patients will have an appointment with a trained healthcare assistant, who will explain the tests and how results are received and assist with blood samples. The patient will then be shown to a bathroom where they are asked to provide a swab and/or urine sample.

Negative results are usually sent to patients via text message within seven to ten days, and the text message will explain that all results are negative – meaning that no infection has been found.

Patients with positive results may need to be seen for further screening and treatment at the Norwich iCash service. This will be explained by the healthcare professional.

A limited supply of testing kits has been provided for this pilot. Once these have been used, patients can still book appointments and receive help to access sexual health screening in Thetford without the need to travel to Norwich unnecessarily.

Emergency Contraception

Patients aged between 16-25 are eligible for free emergency contraception from any local pharmacy (Please note, you will need to check your local pharmacy for further information to ensure they offer this service).

If the unprotected intercourse occurred more than three days prior to seeking medical advice, please request an appointment as soon as possible to discuss further options. All consultations are in strict confidence regardless of age.

For information regarding long acting reversible contraception, please see the iCaSH website.

Urine Specimens and Stool Samples

If the doctor has requested that you bring in a urine specimen or stool sample for testing, please follow these simple guidelines:

• We can only accept samples which are in appropriate sample containers, as using jars or containers from the home could contaminate your sample. You can collect urine and stool sample bottles from reception.
• Ensure your specimen is labelled with your name and date of birth. Please note, any sample that is not labelled cannot be identified and therefore will be disposed of.
• Drop your specimen or sample into reception at any time of day from Monday to Thursday but before 14:30 on a Friday. Anything brought to the desk after 14:30 will be refused.