The Fern Hill Practice
Faringdon Medical Centre
Volunteer Way
Faringdon
Oxon, SN7 7YU
Tel: 01367 242407

Ex Service Personnel

If you are one of our patients who has previously served in the UK Armed Forces it would be to your advantage to ensure that we are aware of the fact. Not all ex-service patients included this information on initial registration but it can be useful and pertinant background information during any medical consultation. So, if you are content to have this information contained within your confidential patient record please either contact one of our reception staff on 01367 242407 or inform us via e-mail:

fernhill.out@nhs.uk

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

Time link to sudden cardiac death

How the time of day can increase the risk of dying from an irregular heartbeat has been identified by researchers.

NHS 'will be Cameron's poll tax'

Labour leader Ed Miliband tells David Cameron he risks making NHS reform "his poll tax" - in noisy Commons clashes over the health bill.

Male extinction theory challenged

A new study comparing chromosomes in humans and rhesus monkeys suggests genetic decay of the male sex chromosome has all but ended.

Heart symptoms 'differ in women'

Fewer women than men suffering from a heart attack appear to experience chest pain symptoms, according to a study in the US.

Nurses 'should sign Dignity Code'

Nurses and care workers should sign a Dignity Code guaranteeing that elderly patients are treated with respect, say a group of politicians and charities.

Baby P duo made 'serious errors'

Two of Baby Peter's social workers committed a "serious error of judgement" during an incident which saw him "disappear" for 12 days, a tribunal hears.

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.

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.

Fatal fungal probe awarded £5.1m

Aberdeen researchers are awarded £5.1m to lead an investigation into fungal infections which cause death.

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.

Health Protection Agency

Update on 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.

Measles outbreak declared on Merseyside

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.

Test Results

Blood Tests

X-Rays

Test Results

3dtubes Your doctor will usually tell you how long results will take to arrive at the surgery. On average it is 3 working days. If the doctor has suggested that you ring for the results, please call after 11:30am to allow the post from the hospital to be seen by the doctors.

In order to maintain confidentiality, details will only be given to patients themselves or to the parents/guardians of minors.

Blood Tests

blood_tests_4 A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

assess your general state of health
confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection
see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.

X-Ray

doctor examining an x-ray An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have a X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.

Further Information

Patient Group

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