Priory Medical Group

In addition to general medical consultations, the practice offers a number of clinics and services.

• Clinics & Services

  In addition to general medical consultations the practice offers a number of clinics and services:

  Disease Prevention and Monitoring Clinics - regular clinics for chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma COPD and high blood pressure, are run by the practice nurses.

  Ante-natal clinics - held once a week as follows:

  North Shields on Thursday morning
  Tynemouth on Friday morning
  Hadrian Park on Monday morning

  Our Midwife Anna Dodds will be starting on 20.2.23

  Routine vaccinations - including tetanus, flu and pneumococcal vaccination.

  Travel Health - During Covid we had to put our travel health clinic on hold. We are starting to get this back up and running. Please call reception to advise where and when you are travelling. This information will then be sent to our group of nurses who will assess and get back in touch. 

  If you requirement is urgent, we recommend and direct patients to private travel health providers such as Boots and Superdrug. Here they will assess which vaccines and precautions one needs to take according to which country they plan to visit. Some of these vaccines are available on the NHS if you are due a booster e.g. Tetanus. Please provide our nursing team with a list of which NHS vaccines you think you may require following a private assessment and they will review your medical record.  

  Minor surgery and joint injections - minor operations and joint injections are done by doctors and Physician associates at our Tynemouth Surgery via internal referral.

  Counselling - We do not have resident counsellors in the surgery. The doctors are able to give you information about self help programmes. We have primary care mental health nurses who work within the surgery that can help with a wide range of problems including anxiety, low mood, bereavement and stress. 

  We can direct you to self referral to the North Tyneside Talking Therapy service :

  www.northumbria.nhs.uk/talkingtherapies#c5905420

  The doctors work with the local community mental health team and psychiatric service to ensure all mental health needs are met.

• Non NHS Services

  Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following: 

  • Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
  • Insurance claim forms
  • Private sick notes
  • Vaccination certificates
  • To whom it may concern letters                                                                                               
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  • The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability. Such letters and forms are not usually provided urgently. Please do not make an appointment simply to complete one of these tasks or ask GPs to fill these out during a 'normal' GP appointment as this takes the time away from those with a medical need. 
     
• Diabetic Clinic 

  We have had a diabetic clinic at Priory for many years. There is a dedicated team of nurses, healthcare assistants, dietician and doctors, we can manage, treat and give advice about all types of diabetes.

  The diabetic team works closely with the diabetic resource centre at North Tyneside hospital.

  If you have diabetes you will have a yearly check, which includes an appointment with the fully trained health care assistant who will take your blood, measure your blood pressure and weight, and check your feet. You will then be given an appointment with either the diabetes nurse, the dietician or doctor to discuss your diabetes and to plan your care over the forthcoming months. Further appointments will be arranged with you, as they are needed.

  You may be concerned that you could have diabetes. Common symptoms include:

  • Being thirsty a lot of the time, and needing to pass water frequently
  • Weight loss
  • Tiredness
  • Problems with vision
  • Frequent infections including thrush

  You may have family members with diabetes. If you have any of these concerns, you can contact the surgery at any time for advice. For further information and useful links see our "Long Term Conditions" page.

• Smoking Cessation

  Useful Contact Telephone Numbers

  Newcastle and North Tyneside Stop Smoking Service Helpline: 0191 219 5111

  NHS Smoking Helpline: 0800 022 4322 open 07:00 - 11:00 daily

  Stop Smoking Clinics and Drop-Ins in North Tyneside
   
  The Parks Leisure Centre, Howdon Road, North Shields, NE29 6TL Monday 17:30 - 19:30

  Shiremoor Resource Centre, Earsdon Road, Shiremoor, NE27 0HJ Tuesday 16:00 - 18:00

  Moor Park Healthy Living Centre, Drury Lane, New York, NE29 8SR Tuesday 17:30 - 19:00

   

• Cryotherapy 

  We no longer provide cryotherapy as over the counter preparations are proven to be just as effective.  However, should you wish to access a cryotherapy clinic you may be able to do so privately.   One visit is often all that is needed. In some cases however, more than one treatment is necessary.

  In most cases no scarring results from the treatment, although there may be some colour change of the skin in the treatment area. This usually clears in a few months although it can take longer for patients of Asian or Afro-Caribbean descent and in some cases there may be some permanent colour change in the skin.

  Some discomfort during and possibly for a short time after the treatment may occur. Usually this can be controlled by Paracetamol, depending on age. Children are usually given Calpol or similar for a 24 hour period.

  Following treatment a blister should develop. This will then burst. The top of the blister then falls away, which soon dries when healing is complete.

  It is advisable to keep the area treated dry for 24 hours. Hands may be washed and a brief shower may be taken, but patients should be discouraged from soaking the lesion.

  If the blister becomes uncomfortable, it may be burst with a sterilised needle. In this case, the loose skin should be left and the area washed with soapy warm water daily then dried. No antibiotics or other applications are required.

  Complete healing takes between two and four weeks, or longer if the area treated was very large.

• Named Accountable GP

  From 1st April 2015, patients can opt to have a named accountable GP.  His/her role will be to take responsibility for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under our contractual obligation to you when required, based on his/her clinical judgement.

  If this is something you would like to arrange please speak to one of our reception staff who will provide you with a form for completion.  Take up of this offer does not change the existing arrangements whereby patients can be seen by any doctor at any one of our surgeries.

• First Contact Physiotherapy and NTIMS

  If you have a new muscle or joint problem, please ask to see our 'First Contact Physio' when you ring reception to book an appointment. Our FCPs are based within the surgery and offer very quick access appointments. You may have to wait a few extra days to be seen, but you will be seen by the most appropriate professional.

  You can also self refer to North Tyneside Integrated Musculoskeletal team (NTIMS):

  The self-referral form is accessible via their updated webpage www.northumbria.nhs.uk/ntims where patients can also access a wide range of self-care guidance.

• Primary Care Mental Health Nurse Team

  If you have a new mental health problem or a flare up of a pre-existing condition (and are not currently under the care of the CTT or NT TT) then please ask to see one of our primary care mental health nurses when you ring reception to book an appointment. You may have to wait a few extra days to be seen but will be seen by the most appropriate professional.

  They can assess complex patients, consider mental state, identify most appropriate interventions and direct and coordinate accordingly. They also provide brief intervention in some cases. They can monitor medication, prescribe or will ask a GP to prescribe if necessary.

  They are not counsellors and they do not have capacity to see people simply for a chat.

• Training and Education

   

  Foundation Year 2 Doctors

  We also have Foundation Year 2 Doctors working at Priory medical group on a 4-month rotation. They have completed their medical degree and have worked for at least one year in a hospital. They are supervised by a qualified GP. They can prescribe, refer, and order investigations much the same as a qualified GP.

  They work across all 3 sites and usually work full time.

   

  GP registrars/ Specialty trainees

  We have GP trainees working at Priory Medical Group. These are doctors who have worked for at least 2 years and have chosen to pursue a career as a GP. The training scheme is 3 years long and we have trainees working here at all stages of the scheme. Their placements are 6 months long.

  They can prescribe, refer, and order investigations much the same as a qualified GP.

  They are supervised by a qualified GP. Their mentors are either Dr Dalton or Dr Kent but they may work with any qualified GP.

  They work across all 3 sites.

• Physician Associates and Paramedics

  We have one Physician Associate here at Priory.  PAs have done a science based undergraduate degree, then a Masters degree in Physician Associate studies. Whilst not doctors, they work to the medical model, with the attitudes, skills and knowledge to deliver general medical care.

  Physician Associates currently cannot prescribe medications, order X Rays or sign Fitnotes. They work closely with GPs who can do these tasks on their behalf, if appropriate. 

  We have a Paramedic primary care practitioner here at Priory. Paramedic primary care practitioners  previously trained and worked as paramedics with the Ambulance service and have then chosen to train as primary care paramedics. They see patients in the surgery and do a lot of home visiting. 

  Some Paramedics currently cannot order X Rays or sign Fitnotes. They work closely with GPs who can do these tasks on their behalf, if appropriate. One of our paramedics has a prescribing qualification. 

   

• Contraceptive services

  We offer a full range of contraception services including coil fitting and removal, implants and injections, prescribing the contraceptive pill and emergency contraception. Dr Wills and Dr Rutland are members of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and can offer in depth advice regarding family planning and fitting of longer acting contraceptives. They, and several other doctors, also hold the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists so we are fluent in women’s health, an important area of general practice.

• Working with the private sector

  We understand that some patients prefer to arrange a consultation with a private specialist.

  If you plan to use a Heath Insurance company, then a referral letter is usually required from your GP. Please do not arrange the appointment prior to obtaining the referral, as this may not be done urgently by the GP and in some cases, it may not be felt to be appropriate. 

  Self-funded, privately arranged appointments usually do not require any involvement from the GP. A summary of your medical history is available in the NHS app. 

  If, following the private consultation, a specific medication or treatment is required, the GP may decline to prescribe it. This may be because it is outside of the GPs level of competence, or not available on the NHS.  Therefore the private provider will need to issue it, or an NHS referral will be considered. 

  We can't arrange a tandem NHS referrals as a 'back up' at the same time as the private referral.