About our practice nursing service
All of our nurses are specially trained in a variety of specialist conditions. We offer the following services:
- full minor illness nurse service (see below)
- respiratory clinics
- cervical screening (see NHS Inform's cervical screening (smear test) guide)
- skin clinics
- immunisations (see NHS Inform's immunisation information, including what's available and when to immunise)
- removal of stitches for in house minor ops patients
- injections
This list is not exhaustive! Read more about some of the clinics and how to get your test results.
Nursing Team
There are three NPs at Academy Medical Centre:
- Lorraine Forsyth
- Trish Stewart
- Pam Welsh
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are Registered Nurses with further qualifications at degree level, including a prescribing qualification.
Nurse practitioners can provide treatment and advice for many problems for which you may have seen a doctor for in the past.
Their main areas of expertise are in the management of common illnesses and long term conditions. The nurse practitioners can assess and examine you, make a diagnosis and provide advice and treatment including a prescription if required. They can make referrals to hospital doctors or other health care professionals, and admit patients into hospital when necessary.
There is also an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) at Academy Medical Centre:
- Keri Garland
ANPs are nurses who have undertaken further study in clinical practice. They can independently assess, diagnose, manage and care for patients with complex clinical issues.
View photos of our nurses.
Minor Illness Service
The nursing team provide a full minor illness service. They are specially trained in the management of common minor illnesses and can see and treat a variety of problems, including:
- back pain
- boils/abscesses
- cellulitis
- cold/flu symptoms
- conjunctivitis
- constipation
- contraception advice
- coughs
- cystitis
- diarrhoea/vomiting
- fever
- earache/ear infection
- hay fever
- indigestion/reflux
- minor burns and scalds
- nose bleeds
- shingles
- skin conditions eg psoriasis, impetigo, acne, eczema
- sinusitis
- sore throats
- thrush
- urinary symptoms
The Minor Illness Service is a safe and effective way to have treatment at the surgery and is closely monitored by the GPs. If your problem is one that the pharmacy or nurse is unable to deal with we will arrange for you to be seen by the most appropriate person within the surgery who can deal with your problem. All of our NPs and ANPs are prescribers, so if your problem requires a prescription, that can be arranged by the nurse.
Health Care Assistants
The nurses are supported by our Health Care Assistants who deal with a variety of health care needs such as blood sampling, urine testing, weight monitoring, blood pressure checks and home blood pressure monitoring, B12, flu & shingles injections, heart tracings (ECGs), respiratory function tests and undertake the chronic disease annual reviews (excluding respiratory annual reviews) and carers health checks.
View photos of our healthcare assistants.
Where to go for other Services
- Wound Dressings are dealt with at the Community Care and Treatment Centre at Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre
- Smoking Cessation Advice can be found at your pharmacy
- Travel Advice and Vaccinations information can be found by visiting FitforTravel
Blood glucose testing
Blood testing
Providing advice & prescribing
Administering vaccinations
