Welcome to Heathcote Medical Centre

Welcome to the Heathcote Medical Centre website. Please browse our site for information about the practice, staff and the range of both NHS and private services available. We also have patient information links for health advice and education.

We are delighted to offer online appointment booking, repeat prescription requests as well as online registrations.

Swine Flu – Update

We now have stock of swine flu vaccine and if you are in one of the priority groups or have a child between 6 months and under 5 years, you can book an appointment now.

Further information about Swine Flu can be found at:
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pandemic-flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Swine Flu Vaccine Phase Two – Children between 6 months and under 5 years.

Phase 2 of the Swine Flu Vaccination Programme started shortly before the New Year and now all children between the ages of 6 months and under 5 years are entitled to receive the vaccine. Please phone the surgery to make an appointment.

Swine Flu Vaccine Phase One – Priority Groups

Phase 1 of the Swine Flu Vaccination Programme continues.

Who is entitled to the vaccine?

The groups of people who are most vulnerable to serious illness from swine flu will be offered the vaccine first. In order of priority, these are:

People aged between six months and 65 years in the seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups (listed below).
Pregnant women.
People who live with someone whose immune system is compromised (for example, people with cancer or HIV/AIDS).
People aged 65 and over in the seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups.

The seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups are people with:

Chronic lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. People with severe asthma who need to continuously or repeatedly use their inhaler or take steroid medication, or who have been admitted to hospital because of their asthma.
Chronic heart disease, including heart failure, congenital heart disease, and heart disease caused by high blood pressure.
Chronic kidney disease, such as kidney failure and people who have had a kidney transplant.
Chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis.
Chronic neurological disease, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis.

Diabetes

Immunosuppression (a suppressed immune system), due to disease or treatment. This includes people who have a damaged or no spleen, people having chemotherapy or other immunosuppressant treatment, and those on high doses of steroid medication.

Healthy people aged over 65 are not a swine flu priority group as they appear to have some natural immunity to the swine flu virus. Surveillance has shown fewer swine flu cases in people over 65 than in younger people.

While children are disproportionately affected by swine flu, the majority make a full recovery. Therefore the experts do not advise that children (other than those in at-risk groups) should be vaccinated initially.

Babies under six months cannot be vaccinated because the flu vaccines do not produce enough of an immune response in them to provide protection.

Pregnant women, however, are a priority group as they are more vulnerable to complications following swine flu infection (see Advice for pregnant women).

If you are in one of the priority groups and suffer with a severe allergy to eggs (anaphylaxis), please advise your GP.