Annual Health Checks: Asthma/COPD

At Bellbrooke Surgery, we help patients with asthma and COPD through a yearly health check. At this appointment, we check your breathing, make sure your inhaler is right for you, and give advice to help you stay well.

Taking Care of Your Health

Looking after your health is a team effort. We are here to support you, but you should also take care of yourself. This means:

Using your inhaler correctly and regularly
Knowing when your breathing is getting worse
Asking for help before it becomes an emergency

By doing this, you can avoid hospital visits and feel better every day.

Useful Apps to Help You

We also encourage all patients with asthma or COPD to download the ICST Hub Apps (West Yorkshire Platform). These apps give you:

Easy-to-follow health advice
Tools to track your breathing and symptoms
Tips to manage your condition at home

These apps can help you stay well and in control of your health. Links and QR codes to download the Apps are below.


Asthma Hub for Parents (England)
	https://b.link/AAPH_BS	https://b.link/GAPH_BS
Asthma Hub (England)
	https://b.link/AAH_BS	https://b.link/GAH_BS
COPD Hub (England)
	https://b.link/ACH_BS	https://b.link/GCH_BS

Dementia services

Memory problems

It is very important that anyone who has problems with their memory has a proper assessment. If these problems are due to dementia then early diagnosis and referral have many benefits for the patient, their carer(s) and family. It can help them to plan and access the treatment and support they need and to improve their quality of life. You can book an appointment with one of our Doctors who can make the initial assessment and refer you to the memory clinic if needs be.

Patients with Dementia

We will invite you for an annual health check when you are due to attend. This will initially take place with one of our healthcare assistants who will also arrange for you to be reviewed by one of our Doctors. If you have any other conditions we will review these at the same time.

Breast cancer screening programme

Breast cancer screening is offered to all women aged 50 – 70 to detect early signs of breast cancer. Women aged over 70 can make their own screening appointments by contacting the Leeds breast screening service on 0113 206 3816.

Breast cancer screening uses an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to feel. If breast cancer is discovered in its early stages, there is a very good chance of recovery.

Women who notice any breast symptoms or changes should make an appointment to see a GP immediately.

Bowel Cancer Screening: Protect Your Health

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Screening helps detect the disease early, even before symptoms appear, when treatment is most effective.

If you are aged 50 or older, you may be eligible for a home testing kit provided by the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. This kit is easy to use, completely safe, and can be done in the privacy of your own home. Completing your screening kit could save your life by catching bowel cancer in its early stages.

If your screening kit has been lost or damaged, you can request a new one by contacting:

Bowel Screening Freephone Helpline: 0800 707 60 60
Textphone: 18001 0800 707 60 60

Helpful Resources:
National Bowel Cancer Screening: Helping You Decide
Leaflet available in English and 10 other languages.

PHE Bowel Cancer Screening FIT Kit Instructions
Step-by-step guidance for using the FIT kit, available in English and 20 other languages.

PHE FIT Bowel Screening Leaflet – Easy Read
Simplified version available in English only.

For more information or to access these resources, please refer to the materials provided or contact your local screening programme. Take charge of your health—early detection can make all the difference.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is a way of detecting a dangerous swelling (aneurysm) of the aorta – the main blood vessel that runs from the heart, down through the abdomen to the rest of the body. This swelling is far more common in men aged over 65 than it is in women and younger men, so all men are invited for screening in the year they turn 65.

An AAA usually causes no symptoms, but if it bursts, it’s extremely dangerous and usually fatal. Around 8 out of 10 people with a ruptured AAA either die before they reach hospital or don’t survive surgery.

Screening involves a simple ultrasound scan of your stomach (abdomen), which takes about 10-15 minutes.

If you have been invited and lost the details, please contact Tel: 0113 3923740 or Email: leedsth-tr.AAAScreening@nhs.net

Cervical Screening

Cervical cancer screening programme

Cervical screening is available to all women aged 25 to 64.

If you are registered at the practice you should automatically receive an invitation by post every three years for women aged 25 – 49 and every five years for women aged 50 – 64. You simply need to contact the practice and make an appointment to see a nurse.

It is very important that you make these appointments, as early detection and treatment of abnormal cells can prevent cervical cancer.

If any concerns have been raised in the past, you may be invited for more frequent checks.

Use the links below for more information on cervical screening.

Cervical Screening Booklet
Cervical Screening in Urdu
Cervical Screening in Chinese
Cervical Screening in Gujarati
Cervical Screening in Polish
Cervical Screening in Punjabi
Cervical Screening in Czech
Cervical Screening in Latvian
Cervical Screening in Lithuanian
Cervical Screening in Portuguese
Cervical Screening in Romanian
Cervical Screening in Russian
Cervical Screening in Somali
Cervical Screening in Spanish

Alcohol and Drug Services

Services we provide relating to Alcohol and Drugs services in Leeds.

Do I need help?

Take the alcohol test this is an excellent online tool which helps you work out if you’re at risk of alcohol-related problems and some simple things you can do to reduce the risk.

This tool is also available in paper format:

Alcohol brief intervention

Getting help

Forward Leeds

Forward Leeds has a wide range of services that support young people, adults and families in Leeds with alcohol and/or drug use.

It is the service that our Doctors will refer you to if you need help, you can also self-refer to the service.

Here is the list of Forward Leeds services.

Alternatively you can call them on 0113 8872477.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous is a national network of free self-help groups aimed at helping people recover from alcoholism. Some people find them very useful and our Doctors often recommend them.

The best way of finding out about them and your closest group is at Alcoholics Anonymous

You may need Adobe Reader to view PDFs.

Annual Health Check

If you have one of the following conditions then you will be invited for an annual health check.

Diabetes
High blood pressure
Kidney disease
Heart disease
Asthma
Chronic bronchitis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Learning disabilities
Dementia
Severe mental health problems

We invite all people for their annual health check around the same month each year. You may need a blood test before the appointment, in which case the invite will say this.

The appointment will vary in length dependant on the number of conditions you have

Housebound and Older Patients

District Nurses

District Nurses carry out many roles for housebound patients, including:

General nursing procedures and investigations
Post-surgery care
Assessment of patients’ needs
Care for terminally ill patients
Loaning of equipment
Looking after wounds and leg ulcers
Educating patients about self-care

Referrals can be made by a Dr or nurse at the practice, patients themselves or by carers and family members.

Community Matron

Community matrons specialise in caring for older people, whether they live in their own home or a care home. They help patients manage their health problems and try to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital.

If a patient has to be admitted, they will communicate with the hospital team to ensure a smooth a discharge as possible.

Adult Social Care

Leeds city council help people aged over 18 to live as well as possible with their illness, disability or other problems. It can include help with things like washing, dressing, eating, getting out and about and keeping in touch with family and friends.

Adults who may need extra care and support include:

Older people
People with learning disabilities
People with physical disabilities
People with mental health problems
People with drug and/or alcohol issues
Carers

They offer a wide range of support and help and their adults and health page is a good place to start.

Or call them 0113 222 4401 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

This can be done by you, a family member, a friend.

If you have difficulty using the telephone please email them at feedback@leeds.gov.uk.

Maternity Services

Midwife

Suzanne Senior is our midwife.

She is available at the practice on weekdays. You can book an appointment with her via the reception desk.

The role of the midwife

A midwife is a qualified nurse who has undertaken further training to provide and promote normal midwifery.

They help you to prepare for motherhood and promote good health for yourself and your baby by advising on the effects of drinking, smoking and good diet whilst you are pregnant.

The midwife guides you through your pregnancy and endeavours to detect any problems and make relevant referrals if necessary.

First appointment with the midwife

If you are pregnant you do not need to see the Dr in order to have your first appointment with the midwife.

You can arrange a booking appointment via the reception desk. This first appointment should be at about 9 weeks of pregnancy.

Due date calculator

The Midwife will discuss your options for delivery, arrange appropriate referrals and provide you with dietary advice.

She will also take blood tests and will subsequently discuss the results with you. Whilst you are pregnant and until your baby is one year old you are entitled to free prescriptions and dental treatment. The Midwife will organise for an exemption certificate to be signed and sent off.

During The Pregnancy

Your maternity book lists when you will be seen by the Midwife, Doctor and hospital through your pregnancy. Should you have any concerns at any other time you can contact your midwife or, if she is not available, make an appointment to see a Doctor during normal surgery hours.

At some point during the course of your pregnancy, the Health Visitor will meet you to talk to you about her role in your care and about the childhood vaccination programme.

After Your Birth

After delivery, your Midwife will visit you at home to help you and your baby. Following the birth, she will visit you on your first day at home. When your baby is five days old she will carry out the Guthrie test (which is a special screening test that the Midwife will give you information about) and at ten days old she will discharge you and your baby from her care. Extra visits may be arranged according to need.

Your Health Visitor will visit you at home when your baby is between 10 and 14 days old and can advise on feeding, weaning and any family issues you may have.

About 6 weeks after your birth you should make an appointment to see your doctor to discuss contraception and any concerns you have about your own health.

Breastfeeding

It takes time for you and your baby to learn how to breastfeed.

The NHS Choices page on breast feeding might be useful.

Your midwife can also offer support and advice.

There are also a number of national services offering local support groups, which can be accessed via their websites: