Surgery Website

Upavon Surgery
Tel: 01980 630221

Durrington Surgery
Tel: 01980 652378

New SMS Messaging Service

Avon Valley practice now offers an SMS messaging service. To sign up please fill in a consent form next time you are in the surgery. This will allow you to receive appointment reminders and actions required following recent test results. You can also fill in this form online

Durrington Surgery Closure

Due to refurbishment, Durrington Surgery will be closed from Thursday 23rd February at 1pm and will re-open at 2pm on Monday 27th February. You will not be able to collect your medication or prescription from Durrington Surgery during this time. Instead, please go to Upavon Surgery. If you need to contact the Practice, please continue to telephone 01980 652378. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Upavon Surgery will be open as normal.

Health Charities

01 Dec - 28 Feb
Marie Curie

Marie Curie Cancer Care is a UK charity dedicated to the care of people with terminal cancer and other illnesses. Over the financial year 2010/11, we reached a total of 31,799 patients

01 Dec - 28 Feb
YouthHealthTalk

Youthhealthtalk enables young people, their family and friends, and professionals such as doctors and teachers to understand young people's experiences of health, illness and life in general. The website feature real-life accounts of issues such as effect on work and education, social life and relationships, consulting health professionals and treatment.

03 Sep - 28 Feb
Macmillan Cancer Support

One in three of us will get cancer and it’s the toughest thing most of us will ever face. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, or a loved one has, you’ll want a team of people in your corner supporting you every step of the way. Macmillan provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care.

BBC Health

Diabetes patients miss key tests

More than 1.3 million diabetes patients could be missing out on vital and potentially life-saving health checks, the BBC learns.

US record kidney donor chain ends

The world's largest chain of organ transplants ends in the US after 30 patients received kidneys from living donors.

Government 'not trusted on NHS'

Over two-thirds of people do not trust the government's handling of the NHS, a poll commissioned for BBC Radio 5 live suggests.

Brain damaged girl awarded £7.3m

A girl left severely brain damaged by complications after her premature birth is awarded £7.3m.

'Promising' pancreas cancer drug

Scientists report promising results for an experimental pancreatic cancer drug treatment.

Manager resigns amid staff strike

A manager at Swindon's Great Western Hospital resigns prior to a 24-hour strike by support workers.

PIP implant women meet minister

Women with breast implants which have been linked to a health scare are to meet Scotland's Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon.

Lansley heckled by NHS protesters

David Cameron says there are "myths we need to bust" after Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is heckled by protesters before a meeting on NHS changes.

Doctors warn over alcohol deaths

Failure to reform alcohol laws could lead to 210,000 preventable deaths in England and Wales in the next 20 years, doctors warn.

Mother's tears at death inquiry

The mother of one of five children whose deaths are being investigated by a public inquiry broke down as details of her son's final hours were discussed.

Health Protection Agency

Level 2 cold weather alert 17 February 2012

The Met Office has forecast that in at least the next two to three days there is a 60% chance of temperatures in the North East and North West regions.

Measles outbreak declared on Merseyside

A measles outbreak has been declared on Merseyside. There are 13 confirmed and 16 suspected cases ranging in age from nine months to adults aged in their 20s. Six people, four children and two adults, required treatment in hospital. This compares to just one confirmed case on Merseyside in the first six weeks of 2011 and one in the corresponding period of 2010.

Update on Legionnaires’ Cluster Associated with a Hotel in Spain

10 February 2012, 1400hrs. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has this week been alerted by the Spanish public health authorities about a further case of Legionnaires’ Disease in a UK resident who stayed at the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Costa Blanca, as well as two French cases. This brings the total number of UK residents associated with this cluster to 12, with three deaths.

Development made in breakdown of a Meningitis B vaccine component

Scientists from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) are a step closer to ensuring the stability of a component of a vaccine that may one day be used to protect against Meningitis B. The research is published today (Tuesday) in Vaccine.

Update on Legionnaires’ Cluster Associated with a Hotel in Spain

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware of nine cases of Legionnaires’ disease in English holiday makers associated with the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Costa Blanca since January 2012, in addition to four Spanish cases so far reported. Subsequently two of the English patients are reported to have died from their illness.

Outbreak of Salmonella Newport

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is investigating an outbreak of a strain of Salmonella Newport infection among 30 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the beginning of December 2011. Cases of illness caused by the same strain have been confirmed in Scotland, Ireland and Germany.

Health Protection Agency confirms new incinerator study

A new study to further extend the evidence base as to whether emissions from modern well run Municipal Waste Incinerators affect human health has been approved by the Health Protection Agency.

HPA helps solve radon problems in West Oxfordshire homes

Hundreds of homes across West Oxfordshire have been found to have high levels of radioactive gas radon. Last summer, the Health Protection Agency invited about 9,000 householders across West Oxfordshire to apply for a free test for radon, a naturally occurring gas present in all homes.

HPA helps solve radon problems in Orkney homes

Hundreds of householders across Orkney are being advised to act to protect their health, after HPA tests detected high levels of radioactive gas radon.

Cornish radon hotspot targeted

Thousands of households in a part of Cornwall with historic radon problems are being offered a free test for levels of the radioactive gas radon.

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 Heal flujabs th 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.

Back Pain

Resources

Back Pain
Factsheet on the causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention of back pain.

NHS Choices
NHS information on back pain

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.

Diarrhoea

Acute diarrhoea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection and affects almost everyone from time to time.

NHS Choices
Symptoms, causes, treatment and information

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.

First Aid - MP3 Downloads

To save them on your computer, right-click on any of the links below and then click 'Save Target As..." . Click on any of the links below to play the audio files:

Burns - Explains the immediate treatment for burns and scalds.

Fits - How to deal with fits (convulsions/seizures) in adults and young children.

Wounds - Immediate actions for wounds, bleeding, and bleeding associated with fractures.

Unconscious patient who is breathing - How to deal with an unrousable patient who IS breathing (includes recovery position)

CPR for adults - Adults who have collapsed, unrousable and NOT breathing.

CPR for babies - Babies who are unrousable and NOT breathing.

Collapsed patient in detail - Explains the complete scenario including checks for breathing, circulation, etc.

These files have been prepared by Sussex Ambulance Service and comply with European Resuscitation Council Guidelines.

Further Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct

NHS 111 is a new service being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services

Durrington Surgery Closure

Health Charities

BBC Health

Health Protection Agency

Cold or Flu

Resources

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Resources

Back Pain

Resources

Diarrhoea

First Aid - MP3 Downloads

Other Links

Further Information