St James Medical Centre
Tel: 01823 285400

Church Lane Surgery
Tel: 01823 285428

News:

Out of Hours
When The Surgery Is Closed Telephone 01823 285400. Please have a pen and paper ready and listen to the 'Out of Hours' answer phone message. A local PCT led service provides the 'Out of Hours' care

Appointments
The doctors offer a mix of pre-booked and 'same day' appointments. We have a greater number of morning appointments than afternoons. It helps us if you can accept the first appointment you are offered

Prescriptions
Order your repeat prescriptions online now! Click here for further information

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

Yahoo Health

Expert warns of complacency after swine flu fizzle (AP)

Robert Webster, chairman of the Department of Virology and Molecular Biology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., attends the Options for the Control of Influenza conference in Hong Kong Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010 in Hong Kong. Webster urged health authorities around the world to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadlier than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

AP - A leading virus expert urged health authorities around the world Sunday to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadly than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak.

Cholera kills 41 in Central African nation of Chad (AP)

AP - Health officials in Chad say an outbreak of cholera in the Central African nation has killed at least 41 people.

Can home cooking be hazardous to your health? (AP)

AP - Could your kitchen at home pass a restaurant inspection?

Botox maker to pay $600M to resolve investigation (AP)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Wednesday, Sep. 1, 2010, regarding a major settlement with a pharmaceutical company for False Claims Act and off-label marketing violations. Allergan Inc., the maker of wrinkle-smoothing Botox, has agreed to pay $600 million to settle a years long federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulin-based drug. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

AP - Allergan Inc., the maker of wrinkle-smoothing Botox, has agreed to pay $600 million to settle a yearslong federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulin-based drug.

New test seen as big advance in diagnosing TB (AP)

This undated photo released by Cepheid, shows a Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF cartridge. The cartridge is part of a test that is a major advance in diagnosing tuberculosis and can reveal in less than two hours, with very high accuracy, whether someone has the disease and if it's resistant to the main drug for treating it. (AP Photo/Cepheid) NO SALES

AP - Scientists are reporting a major advance in diagnosing tuberculosis: A new test can reveal in less than two hours, with very high accuracy, whether someone has the disease and if it's resistant to the main drug for treating it.

Journal editors question sale of diet pill Meridia (AP)

AP - Editors of a top medical journal call Meridia "another flawed diet pill" and question whether it should stay on the market as a study shows it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart problems.

Study: Diet Drug Meridia May Boost Heart Risks (Time.com)

Time.com - A new study finds that some users of the weight-loss pill Meridia may have an increased risk of heart attack or stroke

For Bonobo Males, Mom Is the Best Wingman (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - To most human males, the thought of your mother anywhere near your sex life is probably horrifying. Not so for the bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives. A new study confirms that hanging out with mom boosts male bonobos' chances of getting intimate with a fertile female.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 3, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

More parents 'redshirting' kindergartners (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - As schools start back into session around the country, some parents of young children face a difficult question: Send their little ones to kindergarten as soon as they become age-eligible, or hold them back in hopes that an additional year of maturity will give them an academic boost?

MedPage Today

Investigation Reveals More Woes for Rosiglitazone

(MedPage Today) -- On July 15—a day after the FDA completed two days of hearings on rosiglitazone (Avandia)—a British advisory commission on drugs concluded that the product should be withdrawn from the market, according to an investigation conducted by BMJ.

Washington Week: Insurance, State Actions Top News

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Several studies highlighting insurance issues were released this week, including one on federal programs for kids and two others focused on employer-provided medical coverage.

FDA Approves New Eye Pressure Drop Formulation

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA approved a new formulation of the drug bimatoprost (Lumigan) in a 0.01% solution as a first-line treatment to reduce elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Kids on HAART Would Benefit from Revaccinations (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Children with HIV who received standard childhood immunizations before starting on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) could benefit from revaccination, a review suggests.

New Guidelines Out for Pneumococcal Vaccine (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Adults with asthma and those who smoke should receive the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine to prevent pneumococcal disease, according to new recommendations from the CDC.

OSHA Should Dictate Residents' Hours, Group Says

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The consumer group Public Citizen is urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to regulate the work hours of resident physicians.

Four Factors Increase Risk of Opioid Dependence (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A combination of four factors appears to significantly increase the risk of opioid dependence among patients taking prescription painkillers, researchers have found.

Low IgG Poses Infection Risk With Rituximab (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Certain subgroups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly those who have low levels of IgG, are at risk for severe infections when treated with rituximab, French investigators found.

ESC: Stockholm Take Home Message -- Watch the 'Not' Warfarins

STOCKHOLM (MedPage Today) -- An investigational antiplatelet -- ticagrelor (Brilinta) -- emerged as a big winner from the five-day long European Society of Cardiology congress, but the buzz here focused instead on a trio of investigational oral anticoagulants -- dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban.

Admitting Clinical Errors Not Always Best Policy

(MedPage Today) -- Wide-scale disclosure of clinical errors seems intuitively to be the ethical choice for hospitals and physicians, but researchers from the University of Washington suggest that disclosure should be decided on a case-by-case basis rather than a one-size-fits-all solution

WHO Swine Flu

Influenza - update 115

Worldwide, H1N1 2009 virus transmission remains most intense in parts of India and in parts of the temperate southern hemisphere, particularly New Zealand and more recently in Australia.

Influenza - update 114

The situation in New Zealand and India remains largely unchanged since the last update. Influenza H1N1 (2009) virus transmission remains locally intense in parts of India and New Zealand.

Influenza - update 113

Influenza H1N1 (2009) virus transmission remains locally intense in parts of India and New Zealand.

Director-General statement following the ninth meeting of the Emergency Committee

The Emergency Committee held its ninth meeting by teleconference on 10 August 2010.

WHO recommendations for the post-pandemic period

The world is now in the post-pandemic period. Based on knowledge about past pandemics, the H1N1 (2009) virus is expected to continue to circulate as a seasonal virus for some years to come. While the level of concern is now greatly diminished, vigilance on the part of national health authorities remains important. Such vigilance is especially critical in the immediate post-pandemic period, when the behaviour of the H1N1 (2009) virus as a seasonal virus cannot be reliably predicted.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 112

As of 1 August 2010, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18449 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 111

As of 25 July 2010, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18398 deaths.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 110

As of 18 July 2010, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18366 deaths.

Monitoring patterns and levels of worldwide activity

As part of regular monitoring of H1N1 pandemic influenza, the WHO is in close dialogue with public health experts in countries worldwide, specifically to determine whether H1N1 activity has returned to levels and patterns normally seen for seasonal flu.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 109

As of 12 July, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18337deaths.

Appointments

Home Visits

Test Results

Click here to access the appointment system

Making An Appointment

St James Medical Centre 01823 285400
Church Lane Surgery 01823 285428
Or call into either site

We will do our best to try and accommodate your preferred time and day but please try and be as flexible as you can.

Can we save you an appointment?

bloodpressure If you feel that your problem or issue could be dealt with by telephone, please leave a message with our receptionist and the doctor will call you back. This might save you a trip to the surgery and helps us to manage valuable appointments. Don't forget, we will always see you if needed. Good examples of matters that may be dealt with outside of face-to-face appointments are: discussion of results, completion of forms and medication queries.

Appointment Mix

The doctors offer a mix of 'same day' and 'advanced booking' appointments to cater for your needs and commitments. We also offer some 'extended opening hours' appointments. Please see the headings below for more details'.
We do have a greater capacity in the mornings than in afternoons. It helps us if you can accept the first appointment you are offered but we will try our best to allocate you an appointment which is convenient to you.

Please make your appointment with a Practice Nurse instead of the doctor for the following: Minor injuries, ear syringing, dietary and lifestyle advice, smoking cessation advice, advice about immunisations and cervical smears.

Same Day Appointments

It is important for and for you and for us to reserve 'same day' appointments so that we have sufficient capacity to see patients with more pressing medical needs. Also, we do not know exactly what the future demand for appointments will be. If we can see you quickly that helps us to respond to any surges in demand.

Advanced Appointments (Booking Ahead)

We know that it is not convenient for everyone to be seen 'same day'. We offer the opportunity for patients to book appointments up to two months in advance. Each surgery caters for up to seven pre-booked appointments (approximately half of all slots). If your preferred surgery is already pre-booked we will do our best to find you an alternative advanced slot.

Extended hours

If you find it difficult to get to the surgery during normal opening hours e.g. you work away from Taunton etc, please enquire about an appointment during 'extended hours'. We offer pre-booked appointments on Saturday mornings and on alternate Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

Home Visits 01823 285400

It is better for patients to be seen at the surgery whenever possible. If the doctor decides that you are too ill to come into the surgery, a home visit will be arranged.

Please phone before 10.30am. This helps the doctors to plan their rounds.
Tell the receptionist how you feel. This helps the doctor to assess the urgency of the visit.
In an emergency, telephone the surgery at any time of day.

Test Results 01823 285400

test12 Please allow the following times before telephoning us for your results:

Blood and urine tests five days
INR blood tests one day
Pregnancy tests three days
Cervical smears four - six weeks
X-rays - two weeks

Further Information

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