Clinics & Services

Practice Nurses

Practice nurses undertake numerous and varied tasks including: blood pressure and weight checks, ear syringing, cervical smears, immunisations, dressings and assisting at minor surgery. They are available to advise on minor ailments, stings and injuries as well as having specialist training in diabetes, heart disease, elderly care, respiratory disease, contraception, HRT and smoking cessation. 

Community Nurses

Community nurses will visit housebound patients who are unable to visit the surgery. This can be arranged through your doctor or by the hospital. The district nurse also holds a clinic at Skidmore Way for dressings, removal of sutures and post-operative wound care.

Midwife

We will provide full antenatal and postnatal care, operating a “shared care” system with the community midwife and our local maternity unit at Watford Hospital. We also advise on pre-conception care.

Antenatal Clinics

Clinics are held at our Rickmansworth Surgery on a Friday from 09:00 until 13:00.

Our antenatal information can be found here. Patients are seen by the midwife at clinics by appointment and also by doctors during surgery hours.

The midwife can also be contacted on 01923 217634 (Alexander Ward) or 01923 217371 (Labour Ward).

Immunisations

Tuesdays 13:30-15:00 and Wednesday 13:30 - 15:00 at Gade House

Well Child Clinics

South Herts Public Health Nursing Health Visiting and School Nursing Team (Three Rivers) are available Monday to Friday (09.00 - 17.00).

Telephone 0300 123 7572.

Asthma/Respiratory Disease Checks

Performed by the nurse or doctor by appointment.

Diabetic Checks 

Performed by the nurse or doctor by appointment.

Family Planning & Contraceptive Care

is provided by all doctors during surgery hours; coil fittings and contraceptive implants by Dr Sudarshi. The nurses also carry out HRT and contraceptive checks, cervical smears and will teach breast examination.

Teenage Sexual Health 

Young people are encouraged to see their doctor or practice nurse with any problems and for counselling and advice on sexual health and contraception. A "drop in" clinic is held at Rickmansworth on Tuesdays at 4.00pm (no appointment is required).

Well Person Checks 

Performed by the nurse by appointment. This includes blood pressure, height, weight and urine for both men and women.

Smoking Cessation 

Our patients are fully supported in giving up smoking; appointments are available with nurses or our healthcare assistant.

Blood Tests 

Practice nurses are available by appointment to take blood before 14.50pm. A phlebotomist is also available on Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon (by appointment). Results can be obtained by telephoning the surgery between 11.00am and 5.00pm.

Flu Vaccinations 

An influenza vaccination is recommended for patients with heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes, people over 65 and those living in nursing and rest homes. Please contact reception staff at the end of September each year for details of vaccination dates and to make an appointment.

Other Services Available 

After referral from your doctor, we are able to offer visiting specialist help in the following areas:

• Physiotherapy
• Counselling
• Dietician
• Chiropody (for certain at risk groups)
• Gynaecology

If you need to access a service not currently offered by the practice, you should contact West Herts Primary Care Trust for further advice. Their telephone number is 01923 281600, or write to them at Royalty House, King Street, Rickmansworth, Herts WD18 0BW.

Travel Vaccinations

Gade Surgery is able to provide a full range of travel immunisations, however, as part of your travel plans please allow at least eight weeks (more if you have a complicated itinerary or are travelling to exotic locations) to ensure adequate cover. A travel form (available from reception or downloaded from here) must be filled in before an appointment can be made with a nurse.

Travel Information

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Caribbean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

It is important to make this initial appointment at least 6 weeks before you travel as a second appointment, which needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel, to allow the vaccines to work, may be required with the practice nurse to complete the vaccinations.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

Travelling in Europe

If you are travelling to Europe the EU has published useful information for travellers on the European website.

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
• 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.