Welcome to the latest of our weekly newsletters. We regard it as a priority that all patients at our Adlington, Buckshaw, Croston, Eaves Lane Chorley and Lostock Hall surgeries are kept fully informed of news relevant to them. We hope these updates continue to prove useful.
Holiday Vaccinations
We expect to receive a large number of requests for travel vaccinations in the coming weeks as the holiday season approaches, so now’s the time to look at arranging them.
To do so, download a request form from our website, which you can access by clicking on the ‘Online Services’ tab then the ‘Who to See’ link under the ‘Book Appointments’ section and then scrolling down to the ‘Travel Vaccinations’ link.
After completing it, click the ‘submit’ button and the form will go to your chosen site.
Once received, one of our nurses will then check it and get back to you to advise if vaccinations are needed and if so, which ones, and will make an appointment for you.
Alternatively, you can call at any of our surgeries to pick up a hard copy, and you can then drop off the completed form at the reception desk at your own surgery.
Please submit your form at least eight weeks before the date of travel to allow time for processing and appointments to be made.
Bowel cancer screening
We are supporting the NHS’s ongoing campaign to get more people involved in bowel cancer screening.
This is one of the most common cancers in the UK and screening test checks are now offered to everyone aged 54 to 74, and this will shortly be extended to those aged 50-54.
If you’re in that age group, you’ll be sent a home test kit through the post, and you then collect the sample at home and send it by post to be tested.
It can help find cancer early, and before you have any symptoms, which may mean it's easier to treat, so if you receive at test kit, please use it. It may save your life.
Homeless and Ukraine Appeals
We are still accepting donations for the Chorley Support for Ukraine Group and
the Chorley Homeless Group.
If you have any toiletries, sanitary products, baby items, pet food, non-perishable food items, shoes, clean duvets, blankets, towels, coats and sleeping bags, you can them drop off at any of our surgery sites during opening hours.
Please mark your bags accordingly if you have a preference as to which appeal you wish them to go to.
Giving up Smoking
If you want to give up smoking, there’s plenty of advice and support available via the Smokefree Lancashire campaign.
Find out more by calling 0808 196 2638 or www.smokefreelancashire.org.uk.
If you’re vaping or considering it, it’s less dangerous than smoking and can help you quit, but you should note it also has dangers, especially for young people.
Please also be aware that as no vaping products are as yet licensed as stop smoking medicines, they are not available on prescription.