Taking Medicines Out of the UK

An NHS patient travelling abroad may ask their surgery for a FP10 repeat prescription to cover their time abroad. This is at the discretion of the surgery but can be for no longer than 3 months. This will give the patient enough medication to last until they can make arrangements for supply in the country they are visiting. The Department of Health recommends that the period for which prescriptions should be issued is best decided by the patient’s GP, taking into account his detailed knowledge of the patient’s medical history and current condition. When a doctor prescribes a drug he is clinically and legally responsible for any results of that decision to prescribe. In view of this it is not considered good clinical practice to prescribe large amounts of medicines to a patient going abroad for an extended period of time, whose progress the GP is not able to monitor.

GMS and PMS regulations state that the PCT shall remove a patient from the doctor's list where a patient intends to be away from the UK for a period of  3 mths, or has been absent from the UK for 3 or more months. It follows that prescriptions should not be issued for longer than 3 months, at which time the practice is deemed no longer responsible for providing patient care. This does not preclude re-registering patients on their return, or treating them as Temporary residents for emergency treatment if they visit the UK.  

 

TEMPORARY RESIDENTS

Please note that temporary residents should attend their own gp or private clinic at Waters Green for Travel Vaccines

BLOOD RESULTS

Please be advised that we will only contact you with results if they are not normal

Physiotherapy Service

Patients have to be referred by their GP for this Service

Patient Forum

On the back of new NHS regulations we are having to review our PPG format. An update will be on the web site shortly

Ear syringing.

Before asking about this please put olive oil in your ears for at least two weeks.

Travel Advice

Please contact the Assura clinic at Water's Green

Cold and Flu
Back Pain
Diarrhoea
First Aid

Cold or Flu

 

Resources

Colds & Flu
A factsheet on the causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention of colds & the flu

NHS Choices - is it the common cold or the flu?
Colds and flu can share some of the same symptoms (sneezing, coughing, sore throat) but are caused by different viruses, and flu can be much more serious.  Find out more.

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Influenza – flu – is a highly infectious and potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses.  Each year the make-up of the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the influenza viruses that the World Healflujabsth Organization decide are most likely to be circulating in the coming winter.

Regular immunisation (vaccination) is given free of charge to the following at-risk people, to protect them from seasonal flu:

  • people aged 65 or over,
  • people with a serious medical condition
  • if you are pregnant
  • people living in a residential or nursing home
  • the main carers for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer becomes ill
  • healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care

Resources

For more information on flu immunisation, including background information on the vaccine and how you can get the jab, see Seasonal flu jab.

HPA - Season Flu Guide

RCGP & RPS Joint Statement on Flu Vaccines

Seasonal Flu guide

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
 
For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS DirectNHS 111 is a new service being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare servicesNHS ChoicesDepartment of HealthMy Surgery Website