• Emergency Hormonal Contraception: This service provides Sexual Health Advice including risks of STls and how to get tested, emergency contraception and if clinically appropriate 3 months’ supply of desogestrel bridging contraception, safe-guarding, and signposting. The service is available to women and young people aged 13 years and above. Further details (including a providers list) are available at Pharmacy First Service: Emergency Hormonal Contraception – Business Services Organisation (BSO) Website (hscni.net)
• UTI service for female patients aged 16 to 64 years: This service facilitates the assessment and treatment of women aged 16-64 years presenting with symptoms of uncomplicated LUTI. Further details are available at Pharmacy First Service: – Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in women aged 16-64 years – Business Services Organisation (BSO) Website (hscni.net) – Resources include: Training materials for GP practice staff and GP flowchart outlining the exclusion criteria (attached for convenience)
• Sore Throat PILOT service: There are only 42 pharmacies providing this pilot service until the end of March 2024. See attached list of providers. This service offers assessment and where appropriate treatment to patients aged 5 years and above who present to the pharmacy with symptoms of painful, inflamed sore throat. Further details are available at Pharmacy First PILOT service: – Sore throat – Business Services Organisation (BSO) Website (hscni.net).
• Everyday Health Conditions: The box below outlines the conditions available and a protocol for GP practice reception staff is available on the PCI at Pharmacy First Service: – Receptionist-Protocol-everyday-health­-conditions.pdf

The Surgery will be closed on:

Monday 18th March 2024
and will reopen on Tuesday 19th March 2024.
Please ensure medications are ordered in a timely manner and please allow 72hrs for prescriptions to be sent to your nominated pharmacy.
For medical attention during the surgery closure contact
Dalriada Urgent Care on 028 2566 3500

All patients aged between 50 and 65 years of age are being invited to receive their flu vaccine at Meadowbridge Surgery.

To book an appointment, go online via patient facing services or alternatively, contact the surgery after 09:30am on 0289 335 3454. Eligible patients can receive their flu vaccine here at the surgery until the end of March 2024.

Covid vaccines are no longer offered at the Meadowbridge. However, eligible patients who have yet to receive their vaccine can go to the following:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/get-covid-19-vaccination-northern-ireland

 to find out where they can avail of this service.

The following numbers for February 2024:

• 1,217 Appointments booked in the Treatment Room
• 192 Appointments booked and not attended
• 2,367 Daily triage slots actioned by a clinician
• 2,274 Hospital letters actioned by Practice Staff
• 6,235 Prescriptions requested
• 10,661 Incoming Telephone Calls to the Practice
• 20,133 General Administration Tasks
• 34 Home Visits by a GP
• 3,304 Face to Face Surgery Consultations
• 484 Traige Telephone calls from patients
• 766 Triage Telephone calls to patients
• 3,143 patient results reviewed

Children should have their teeth brushed for 2 minutes twice a day, morning and night. Download free ‘Brush DJ’ app from NHS app library for advice and 2 mins. of music to help brushing.

• Remember to ‘spit don’t rinse’ at the end of brushing.
• Children up to age 7 should have their teeth brushed for them or be supervised by a parent or carer.
• Use a thin smear (under 3 years) and pea-sized amount (over 3 years} of toothpaste with at least 1 OOOppm fluoride (ask dentist/pharmacist if unsure).
• Whole pieces of fruit and unsweetened milk have natural forms of sugar and don’t cause decay.
• Sugar (causing decay) is found in lots of food/drink
  (including ‘healthy foods’ like fruit juice and yoghurt), check ingredients for things ending in ‘ose’, such as glucose and corn syrup which are all sugars.
• Your child should only have sugar four times a day including meals and drinks; three meals and one extra snack containing sugar and only water or milk to drink except at meal times.

Top Tip:

If your child has sweets as a treat; it’s better for their teeth if they eat them as their one extra sugary snack in the day, instead of spreading them out into lots of smaller snacks throughout the day.

Whitehead Storehouse exists to provide emergency food supplies to those in genuine need. We provide support to the following areas:

• Whitehead
• Ballycarry
• Islandmagee

If you are, or know someone in need who could benefit from a food delivery, contact us on:

Mob: 0759 621 3763
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storehousewhitehead/
All contact will be treated with the strictest confidence. You can also donate non-pershable food to the Strorehouse at the following:

• Any Church
• The Spar on Edward Road
• The Spar in Ballystrudder
• Whitehead Community Centre