After its success last year, the Healthy Living Programme is being relaunched by the PCN team. Designed and delivered as a project to help people lose weight, and improve their overall health and wellbeing, we aim to empower you to make sustainable changes. 

If you have been directed here by the surgery, you have been invited to engage in the Healthy Living Programme.  Please read on to discover why you have been invited, and what you can expect from joining the programme.

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This programme is currently by invitation only

As our records show you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30+ (or 27.5+ for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic patients), we would like to invite you to participate in our Healthy Living Programme set up to tackle high BMIs and their root cause. There are many health benefits to losing weight if you are overweight; it can also help you to feel happier and more confident. The programme is specifically designed to help you lose weight, identify any problem areas in your current lifestyle and support you in your journey to improve your health and wellbeing.

If you have not already had an annual health check in the last 12 months, you will first have an appointment with one of our nurses for a health check to take accurate measurements of height, weight, BMI etc.

Having had your health check, you will then have a consultation with the social prescriber, who will walk you through a discussion about how you feel about your own health. We hope to utilise local resources such as better lifestyle charities and weight management services in Blackpool and the surrounding areas to best support you. 

We will invite you to 5-10 follow-up appointments with the social prescriber over the course of the next 12 months to gauge how you are progressing. You will be invited to submit your weight and waist measurement after six months and to attend a further health check after 12 months if appropriate. 

This programme is part of the national Complete Care Community Programme, which supports Primary Care Networks to identify and narrow health inequalities in their local area.

If you are ready to make changes and would like to join the Healthy Living Programme, please contact the surgery at your earliest convenience on 01253 626637.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Screening in pregnancy

During your pregnancy, you will be offered a range of tests, including blood tests and ultrasound baby scans.

These tests are designed to help make your pregnancy safer, check and assess the development and wellbeing of you and your baby, and screen for particular conditions.

These tests will include –

• weight and health checks
• urine
• blood pressure
• blood tests you may be offered include  – screening for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, blood group, rhesus disease, anaemia, diabetes

Some of these tests will be carried out at your GP surgery, or at home, or at your local hospital.

Screening for newborn babies

Your newborn baby will be offered some screening tests in their first six to eight weeks. These include –

• a physical examination – which includes the eyes, heart, hips and testes
• a hearing test
• a blood spot (heel prick) test – to check if the baby has any of nine rare conditions

For further information on Antenatal and Newborn screening please click here.

Flu – is recommended yearly for patients with heart, lung  or kidney     disease, diabetes, residents of nursing and rest homes, and patients aged over 65.  Please contact the reception staff in September for details of the flu clinics.

Pnuemovax -is recommended every 10 years for patients with chronic heart, lung, liver, kidney disease, diabetes, and other at risk groups.

Tetanus – recommended for all patients. Once a course of 3 injections has been completed boosters should be given every 10 years.

Shingles – Patients aged between 70-79 years are eligible for the vaccine.

Practice nurses, supervised by the Doctors run this clinic.  Advice on treatment and lifestyle is supplied to all patients with asthma, COPD, diabetes, hypertension and respiratory problems.  Please bring your medication with you.

These clinics are run by the practice nurses and are for the following: Cervical smears, contraceptive advice, blood pressure checks, preconceptual advice, menopause and HRT advice, health screenings and lifestyle checks.

These clinics are run by the practice nurses and are for the following: Cervical smears, contraceptive advice, blood pressure checks, preconceptual advice, menopause and HRT advice, health screenings and lifestyle checks.

This is run by the community midwife.  It is held every Tuesday afternoon between 1:15 pm and 4:30 pm and is by appointment only.  To contact the midwives, please telephone 01253 956820.

Post natal examinations are usually completed 6 weeks after delivery by the nurse practitioner. Please inform reception what the appointment is for.

This clinic is held every Wednesday morning between 9:00 and 11:45 for well babies only. You will be sent an appointment for your baby’s 8 week check and 7–9-month development checks, and for all immunisations. Referrals will be required for these appointments from the GPs and nurses.

These clinics are run by the Practice Nurses The clinics are for the          following: – blood pressure checks, diabetic checks, cholesterol checks, urine checks and advice on diet, alcohol, exercise, tobacco, heart      disease prevention and lifestyle.