Our physiotherapy team offer a first contact service so that you can see a specialist regarding your musculoskeletal problem without having to see a GP.

The team are highly trained to assess, diagnose and recommend appropriate treatments for all musculoskeletal issues. They work closely with our GPs to arrange scans, specialist appointments or medication if this is required.

Our physio service is a diagnostic service and therefore does not offer massage or weekly supervised exercises.

Our physiotherapy clinic runs on a Wednesday and Friday at Dolphin House. Please contact the surgery to book an appointment.

We offer a comprehensive travel health and vaccination service. If possible, please contact us at least 6 weeks before you travel by completing the travel form below. You will be contacted to arrange an appointment after we have received the completed travel form. Please note we regret that no patient will be seen without a completed travel form.

Please note this is for Dolphin House Surgery patients ONLY. We are no longer a Private Travel Vaccination Clinic.

Before your appointment we advise you to go to www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and look up your planned destination. Remember there is more to travel advice than vaccinations.

Don’t leave it too late

Most vaccinations need to be administered at least 2 weeks before travel but for departures to long haul destinations and some risky destinations a course of injections up to 6 months before is recommended. Getting your travel form to us as quickly as possible is vital to enable us to ensure you are fully protected. Please note on the day and emergency appointments will not be available for travel vaccinations.

Are you ready to stop smoking?

We offer specialised smoking cessation courses, where you will be counselled over a number of weeks and given the support needed on helping you give up smoking.

Our health-care assistants can provide advice and regular one-to-one ongoing support as well as helping you access nicotine replacement, zyban and champix on prescription – please contact reception to make an appropriate appointment.

All partners have a good understanding of the modern management of respiratory diseases. We have two qualified Asthma Nurses available in the asthma clinic for assisting newly diagnosed asthmatics and patients with COPD. You can self-book for these clinics by contacting reception. The appointments are for disease monitoring and not for acute illnesses.

We currently run a minor surgery service at Dolphin House Surgery. This is managed by Dr Arul and Dr D’Uva.

Minor operations available at the surgery include removal of moles, skin tags, cysts and small lumps. Please be aware that we are not allowed to remove things for purely cosmetic reasons and there must be underlying medical reason for any procedure.

If you would like to discuss the possibility of a minor operation please arrange a routine consultation with a GP, preferably Dr Arul or Dr D’Uva, so the lesion can be examined and possible management options discussed.

Our minor surgery service runs on a waiting list basis and there may be a wait of a few months until your appointment.

We also offer a joint injection service. Dr O’Reilly, Dr Cope, Dr Arul, Dr D’Uva and Dr Appiah are able to perform joint injections.

Joint injections involve the injection of a corticosteroid medication directly into a joint which can help reduce inflammation. Although joint injections do not typically help cure the disease process, they can reduce pain to make it easier for you to undertake physiotherapy exercises.

We currently offer injections for the following conditions: shoulder, hand and knee osteoarthritis, trigger finger, carpal tunnel, greater trochanteric pain syndrome, olecranon bursitis and tennis/golfers elbow.

If you feel a joint injection would benefit your condition please arrange a routine appointment with a GP to discuss this further. Please be aware an injection may not be carried out at the initial appointment if this is not appropriate

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High blood pressure (hypertension) is very common, especially in older adults. There are usually no symptoms, so you may not realise you have it. It is recommended everybody checks their blood pressure every 5 years over the age of 45, and you should check it every year if you are known to have high blood pressure. We offer a number of services for you to check and monitor your blood pressure. You can contact the reception team to arrange an appointment with one of our health care assistants, use the blood pressure machine in the waiting room, attend one of our walk in clinics or visit the local chemist.

Dr O’Reilly is our cardiology lead and has a wealth of experience in managing heart conditions. We can also offer ECG testing (checking the heart’s electrical activity), 24 hour ECG monitoring and 24hour blood pressure monitoring to diagnose and manage heart conditions.

Dr D’Uva is our heart failure lead. Every year you should have a heart failure review which will be undertaken by a GP or a member of our pharmacy team to ensure your condition is optimally managed. If you think you are due for a review please contact the surgery

The flu vaccine helps protect against flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. It’s offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter to people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

You can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you:

are aged 65 or over

have certain long-term health conditions

are pregnant

live in a care home

are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer’s allowance

We run an annual flu clinic, typically on a Saturday in September. Most eligible patients will be contacted directly with information on how to book an appointment, however if you are elligible and have not been contacted please contact reception.

If you are housebound, a home visit will be arranged to administer your vaccination.

Unfortunately, the NHS does not provide the flu vaccine for those who do not fit the above criteria. If your job requests that you have it, your work place must offer it to you via their own occupational health system. Many pharmacies also offer the flu jab privately for a small cost.

For full details of who is eligible for the seasonal flu vaccine please visit the NHS Choices website.

We offer a comprehensive family planning service. You can make an appointment with any nurse or doctor to discuss the following:

• Contraceptive Pills
• Contraceptive Injections
• Hormonal and Copper Intrauterine Devices (Coils)
• Natural Family Planning Methods
• Emergency Contraception
• Preconception advice
• Discussions regarding sterilisation/vasectomy
• Advice and referral for pregnancy terminations

For more information regarding the different types of contraception please visit the NHS Choices website.

Dr Wills and Nurse Bruce fit contraceptive coils and implants at the surgery. This service is currently run on a waiting list basis and you may have to wait a couple of months before your appointment. If it is the first time you have used a contraceptive coil or implant we would recommend you arrange a routine consultation with Dr Wills or Nurse Bruce to discuss any questions you have before you are added to the waiting list.

Most local pharmacies are also now commissioned to start and continue oral contraceptive methods such as the combined and progesterone only (mini) pill. They can also provide emergency contraception to most women free of charge.

Although we do provide sexual transmitted infection (STI) testing at the surgery, we would recommend you contact the local sexual health service for a more thorough assessment. You can find your closest clinic here: Home :: Sexual Health Hertfordshire.

Dr Baverstock is a Health & Safety Executive-registered medical examiner of professional divers. He does private medical examinations by private appointment only.

Please contact our reception team if you require an appointment for a diving medical

Dr Morgan is our diabetic lead and runs our diabetic service with the support of Nurse Banks and Dr King.

All patients who have a diagnosis of diabetes require an annual review to ensure their diabetes is being managed appropriately.

You annual review will contain the following checks:

A blood test where enough blood is taken to be sent to the lab to check your:

• HbA1c your average blood sugar levels for the past three months
• Cholesterol levels how much fat is in your blood 
• Kidney function how well your kidneys are working.
   

You will be asked to provide a urine sample that is sent to the lab to check:

• For signs of kidney disease.

At the appointment you will also have:

• A foot check which may be done safely once every two years if your last check showed no problems
• Your weight and height measured to work out your Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Your blood pressure measured.

Your healthcare team will also ask if you smoke, so you can be offered help to stop.

It may not be at your annual review appointment, and is likely to be done by a different team, but you should also be invited to:

• A diabetic eye check this is not the same as a sight test at the optician. Photos are taken of your eyes to see how diabetes is affecting them, as it can damage the blood vessels and cause an eye problem called diabetic retinopathy. 

Annual diabetic reviews are co-ordinated by our diabetic admin team. You will be contacted when your appointment is due. Typically this is on an annual basis for well controlled diabetes and more frequently if you need more support. If you think you are due a diabetic review please contact our diabetic admin team via reception.