Health Care Assistants
If you are instructed to book an appointment with one of our HCAs, appointments are available at both our Tramways and Middlewood sites and can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance. Please call our main Practice number on 0114 234 5338 during normal opening hours to book with our Reception team.
Our Health Care Assistants can offer the following services:
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Basic Health and Wellbeing Measurements
Our HCAs are able to measure basic things such as your height and weight and add these to your medical record. This can be important to help monitor your overall health or track changes that may be due to a medical condition or medication. These appointments usually take 10-15 minutes.
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Blood Pressure Monitoring
If you are on certain long-term medications or have certain medical conditions, our GPs and Nurses may need to monitor your blood pressure. These appointments usually take 10-15 minutes.
Home Monitoring
If you are able, we would recommend you purchasing a blood pressure machine as they are relatively inexpensive. But if that is not an option, we do have machines that can be loaned by the practice. If you are are asked to record your blood pressure over a period of time you will be asked to provide a refundable cash only £10 deposit for the loan of a blood pressure machine from the practice. This will be returned to you in full when you return your blood pressure monitor after the loan period.
Monitoring your blood pressure at home can give a more accurate picture of your blood pressure as you go about your everyday life. This will help to give the doctor/nurse a more accurate picture of your blood pressure over time.
Please read all instructions before starting:
- Please monitor and record your blood pressure at home for 7 consecutive days. Readings should be recorded to be submitted via the form given to you. Download the BP Reading Sheet.
- On each day, monitor your blood pressure on two occasions, in the morning and again in the evening.
- On each occasion take a minimum of two readings, leaving at least a minute between each.
How to take your blood pressure:
- Push your sleeve up comfortably
- Before you take your readings, rest for five minutes
- Make sure your arm is supported and that the cuff around your arm is at the same level as your heart
- Put the cuff on following the instructions that came with your monitor
- Take two readings, each about two minutes apart, and then note the lowest reading
- Record your reading on the form provided
Return your readings and BP monitor if borrowed to the site in which you loaned it from and the deposit will be returned to you. Your results will be averaged and reviewed by a GP. If you have not heard from the surgery within 7 days, please contact reception.
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Blood Sampling
If the GP requires blood tests to aid with their treatment they may ask you to book an appointment with the HCAs to take a sample for your blood. This will then be sent to the hospital for analysis. Samples usually take up to 7 days to be returned to us and processed. If you are unsure what to do next, please contact our Reception team who will be able to advise you accordingly.
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Diabetic Foot Checks
(Information to follow)
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