Medical services and clinics

All women between the age of 20 and 65 should have a regular smear test every three to five years. We send out appointment reminders to all of our patients to let you know when your next smear is due.

Cancer of the cervix often has no symptoms in its early stages. Unlike a lot of cancers, cervical cancer more commonly affects younger people, particularly sexually active women between 30 and 45.

If you do have symptoms, the most common is abnormal vaginal bleeding, which can occur during or after sex, in between periods, or new bleeding after you have been through the menopause. Abnormal bleeding does not mean you have cervical cancer, but you should see a GP as soon as possible to get it checked out.

Every 3 years from aged 25 until after your menopause, women will be invited for a smear test. This is a quick test where a few cells are rubbed off the cervix (neck of the womb) using a plastic brush, and looked at under a microscope. We do this because the changes in the cells that can go on to cause cancer can often be spotted YEARS before they actually become a problem. If found they can then be scraped off in a simple procedure, preventing serious complications later on.

Smears are uncomfortable but not painful. Please do not be embarrassed to come in – we have seen it all before! Let your nurse or doctor know if there is anything we can do to make you more comfortable.

For more information about cervical cancer screening, see the NHS site below:

NHS Cervical Screening

We send out appointments for regular checks and immunisations for pre-school children. This is to make sure that our doctors and health visitors can check that children are developing normally and that there’s nothing to worry about.

All contraception is free on the NHS – even male vasectomy and female sterilisation!

Most contraception is very safe but you will need to discuss which options are appropriate for you with one of our nurses or doctors, as sometimes there are reasons why one suits an individual more than another. Book in to discuss your options with our experienced nursing team!

At Wooda we can also fit and remove Nexplanon contraceptive implants and all sorts of contraceptive ‘coils’ both using copper (non-hormonal) and using hormones (for example, the ‘Mirena’) which are among the most reliable methods of contraception- and once fitted, you can forget about them! Don’t forget that no method of contraception other than male and female condom offers you any protection from sexually transmitted infections, so it is always a good idea to have protected sex with a new partner until you have both had a sexual health screen. We are very happy to do screens here with our nursing team, but if you prefer, you can be seen confidentially at Devon Sexual Health, in Barnstaple. They can be found online at Devon Sexual Health.

It can be hard to find up to date and reliable information about contraceptive methods, but Contraception Choices is a fantastic, clear website with great information to help guide your choice.

No method of contraception is 100% effective, and sometimes things go wrong. If you find yourself pregnant and do not feel that you can continue, please call us and we can talk about your options, including termination of the pregnancy.

Sometimes it can be hard to speak to your GP about this. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) can offer helpful, immediate advice for women with unplanned pregnancies. Another organisation that can provide confidential access to pregnancy termination services is MSI (Marie Stopes International) UK.

We offer a wide range of health screening for men and women at our surgery.

Women aged between 50 and 60 are advised to attend the Breast Screening Unit every three years for a mammography. This is to make sure we can check and detect any abnormalities as soon as possible. These appointments are sent out by the local Breast Unit.

Find breast screening services.

Our antenatal and postnatal clinics are held at our surgery by our doctors and midwives.

We offer routine vaccinations and general advice to our patients travelling abroad.

It may take up to eight weeks for a full course of vaccinations, so please contact us in advance to give you plenty of time if you’re planning to go abroad where you need to be vaccinated.

Some services available are not covered under our contract with the NHS. This means that these services need to be paid for.

The services that include charges are:

• Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements.
• Insurance claim forms.
• Passport signing.
• Prescriptions for taking medication abroad.
• Private sick notes.
• Vaccination certificates.

Our reception staff and GPs will be happy to talk through the charges with you during your appointment.

Find out about local counsellors and advice services. You can access these services by speaking to your GP or the surgery’s receptionist.

The lining of your womb is called the endometrium. This shrinks after you go through the menopause and your periods stop. However, in some women, it can grow back abnormally, and in the worst case scenarios, this can cause a cancer of the womb lining.

The classic symptom of this is bleeding from the vagina AFTER you have been through the menopause.

If this happens, get in touch with your doctor.

This cancer is VERY rare in women before the menopause but if you get bleeding at a time you are not expecting, always check with your doctor.

• Adult Vaccination & Immunisation
• Carers’ checks  
• Cervical Screening
• Child Health Surveillance
• Childhood Examinations & Immunisations
• Long Term Conditions Management (Includes Asthma, Coronary Heart Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease & Diabetes)
• Contraceptive Services
• Emergency Contraception
• Family Planning
• General Consultation
• Health checks for over 75’s on patient request
• Maternity Services
• Medical Examinations
• Minor Operations
• Pre Conceptual Care
• Stop Smoking Service (via local health support worker) 
• Terminal Care
• Travel advice and immunisation
• Health Checks for patients between the ages of 40 and 74 years (a letter will be sent inviting you to attand if you are eligible)

Bideford Hospital currently provides x-ray facilities, some consultant out-patients clinic and Physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy department are now able to offer self-referrals from The Wooda Surgery patients.

Here is the link for the online form:

Self Referral Online form for Physiotherapy

The Wooda surgery offers full antenatal and postnatal care in partnership with the Maternity Unit at North Devon District Hospital.

Medical examinations are performed for various third parties, insurance companies, employers etc. A fee is payable for all non-NHS services and a scale of fees is posted in the waiting room.

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
• Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
• Private sick notes
• Vaccination certificates

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.

Please download the recording sheet from the link below and return to the practice on completion:

Home blood pressure reading sheet

Menopause is a problem that affects all women, and even now, so many women suffer unnecessarily thinking that what they are going through is just part of life. We now know that there is so much we can do to help women through menopause and beyond, to live healthier and happier lives.

One of the options for women going through the menopause is HRT, or ‘hormone replacement therapy’ which helps to replace some of the hormones that your ovaries stop making during and after the menopause. There is a lot of reliable AND unreliable information about HRT out there- please see below for some helpful resources.

Understanding the risk of breast cancer

This really helps to put in to perspective how HRT affects your risk compared to other lifestyle and medical factors.

The Menopause National Survey and

The effect of the menopause on UK women

These survey results show just how many women struggle at this time in their lives. You are not alone!

I think the following websites are really helpful for both women and healthcare professionals and I recommend taking a look.

The British Menopause Society

Advice and support from the experts!

Menopause Matters

A lot of patients find this site really helpful- sometimes you can feel very alone when you are struggling with symptoms, and the discussion forums here can be a great source of support.

My Menopause Doctor

Set up by Dr Louise Newson, a passionate advocate for good health in menopause, this site offers brilliant fact sheets and myth-busting information for women.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women the UK with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes. Around 55,000 women and 370 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK. In England, every year around 46,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer.

From the aged of 50, you will be called up every 3 years for a mammogram. This is an X-ray of your breasts, which shows whether there are any small denser areas that shouldn’t be there. It would show a breast cancer long before you could feel it from the outside, which is fantastic, as cancers caught early are often curable.

Mammograms are uncomfortable- your breasts will feel squashed and sore, but by attending you are preventing bigger problems later on.

Breast cancer can also happen in younger women. Unfortunately mammograms are not helpful in younger women, as before the menopause, your breast is so dense anyway due to the glandular tissue that produces breastmilk, it would be impossible to tell between bad dense areas and normal dense areas. For this reason it is SO IMPORTANT that young women get to know their breasts and check them regularly!

Here are things to look out for…