Pharmacy

Penryn Surgery own two local pharmacies. One is on site next to reception along with Hendra’s Pharmacy on Market Street in Penryn.

Penryn Surgery Pharmacy
Saracen Way
Penryn
TR10 8HX
Tel: 01326 372233

Open
Mon- Fri: 0845-1815
Sat: closed

Hendra’s Pharmacy
44 Market Street
Penryn
TR10 8BH
Tel: 01326 373357

Open
Mon- Fri: 0845-1300 & 1400-1730
Sat: 0900-1300

The pharmacist and our trained assistants are available for advice on all medicines and minor ailments, in private if required. We can also give you advice on how to live a healthy life, for example, advice on how to stop smoking, or healthy diets.We can direct you to other sources of advice and assistance if we cannot help you ourselves

We keep a wide range of competitively priced over the counter medicines and also vitamins and mineral supplements.

We can advise on medical requirements for travellers, including anti-malaria treatments

Can the pharmacists provide treatment for any conditions?

The pharmacists at Penryn Surgery are also able to see and treat patients under the Minor Ailment Scheme.

If you or a relative are suffering from any of the following conditions: CONJUNCTIVITIS, CYSTITIS (Urinary Tract Infection), IMPETIGO, NAPPY RASH or ORAL THRUSH our pharmacist may be able to see and prescribe for you without the need to see a doctor. To access this service please call into the pharmacy and ask to speak to the pharmacist

Is Emergency Contraception available at the Pharmacy?

The “ Morning After Pill” is free for people 25 yrs and under from Hendra’s Pharmacy, Market Street.

It can be purchased for approx £25 if over 16 years of age from either pharmacy. For more information on this go to the Emergency Contraception page.

How much do prescriptions cost?

For information on prescription charges and who is entitled to free prescriptions go to:

www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/Prescriptioncosts

Where can I find a Pharmacy open Out of Hours or on Sundays and Bank Holidays?

The pharmacies run a rota to provide services out of hours, on Sundays and Bank Holidays. To find out which pharmacy is open, search on http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Pharmacy.

Alternatively check the West Briton newspaper or a notice is displayed on every pharmacy entrance detailing the opening hours of all local pharmacies.

Travel Vaccinations

Penryn Surgery is able to provide free NHS vaccines for travel. We are also a Yellow Fever Centre. We are able to advise and vaccinate patients who are registered at other GP practices. Please enquire at reception for the current fee.

I am going abroad, what do I need to do about immunisations?

Penryn Surgery can help with advice on travel health and provide all travel immunisations including Yellow Fever in our Travel Clinic.

Please ensure to plan well in advance if you think you may need travel vaccinations or Malaria tablets, allow 6 to 8 weeks for your vaccine planning.

You will need to have your first appointment at least 5 weeks before your departure date in order to give enough time to complete your course of jabs. Some schedules of vaccines will require 3 visits to the travel clinic to complete the course and give full protection. Your last appointment will be 2 weeks before travel so full protection is in place before your departure.

We would advise you visit Travelhealthpro.org.uk

Enter your destination(s) and you will receive the latest advice on which immunisations are recommended and whether you need to take malaria protection.

After visiting the Travel Health Pro website, please contact the Surgery to make an appointment in the "Travel Clinic". You will be asked for your destination, dates of travel and duration of trip

Please bring along information on your vaccination history to your first appointment.

Am I going to have to pay for the vaccinations and malaria tablets?

Some travel vaccinations are given free as part of the NHS service. The current list of travel vaccines provided free by the NHS are :

Polio
Typhoid
Hepatitis A
Cholera

These vaccines are given free because they protect against diseases thought to represent the greatest risk to public health if they were brought into the country.

Other travel vaccines and malarial protection may be recommended for travel to certain areas but these are not covered by the NHS. Payment will be required in advance of the vaccinations being given or the anti-malarials ordered. Up to date fees will be explained to you by our Travel Nurse at your first assessment appointment.

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

Another good travel website is: Jane Chiodini Travel Health

Childhood Immunisations

If your child is due an immunisation, you should be sent a reminder from the practice. For children at secondary school this will come from the school. Please book an appointment with the practice nurse for immunisations or follow the instructions given by your child's school. Immunisations prevent serious diseases. For more information on the immunisations and the diseases they prevent visit:

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Childhood-Immunisation.htm

Children's Immunisation Schedule

At two months old:

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) - one injection
Pneumococcal infection - pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) - one injection

At three months old:

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) - one injection
Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) - one injection

At four months old:

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) - one injection
Pneumococcal infection - pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) - one injection

At around 12 months old:

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C (Hib/MenC) - booster dose in one injection

At around 13 months old:

Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) - one injection
Pneumococcal infection - pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) - one injection

Three years four months to five years old (pre-school):

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV) - one injection
Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) - one injection

12-13 years old (Given at school)

HPV Vaccination for girls (3 vaccinations over 6 months)
Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) -one injection

13 to 18 years old: (Given at school)

Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (Td/IPV) - one injection

HPA Childrens Vaccination Schedule

Click here for the recommended HPA vaccination schedule

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice

Ear Cleaning

Don't use your fingers or any objects like cotton buds to remove earwax. This will push it in and make it worse.

Earwax usually falls out on its own. If it doesn't and blocks your ear, put 2 to 3 drops of olive or almond oil in your ear twice a day for a few days.

Over 2 weeks lumps of earwax should fall out of your ear, especially at night when you're lying down.

There's no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums get rid of earwax.

Speak to a pharmacist about earwax build-up. They can give advice and suggest treatments.

They might recommend chemical drops to dissolve the earwax. The earwax should fall out on its own or dissolve after about a week.

Don't use drops if you have a hole in your eardrum (a perforated eardrum).

your ear hasn't cleared after 5 days
your ear is badly blocked and you can't hear anything (you can get an infection if it isn't cleared)

you can book with a practice nurse for irrigation (which used to be called “syringing”). A machine is used to gently squirt warm water into the ears at a certain pressure to dislodge the wax and wash it out.

You should not have ear irrigation if you are known to have a perforated ear drum or if you have a current infection in the ear. If you are unsuitable for syringing, speak to your GP about having a referral for microsuction.

Maternity Services

Midwife clinics are held in Penryn weekly.

If you are pregnant you will initially have a “booking” appointment with the midwife. Phone or visit the surgery and our reception team will pass your contact number directly to the midwife team.

The midwife will phone and arrange your first appointment.

The booking appointment is usually at about 8-10 weeks of your pregnancy. The appointment takes about an hour and can take place at your home or at the clinic.

The midwives can be contacted by ringing them on their direct line at Falmouth Hospital 01326 430070.

In an emergency the midwives can be contacted on 01208 251300

Non-NHS Services

Time frame for non-NHS work

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. Therefore in order to complete even the simplest of forms, the doctor needs to check the patient’s entire record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor, with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

Please note, we do not validate/certify Passport or Driving Licence applications due to the personal knowledge required to provide this service.

Letters written at the request of the patient and form completion are not covered by the NHS contract of services and have to be paid for in advance. These services are optional and we know that patients find them valuable. Please contact reception for costs and to make any requests. We usually need to see the form in advance so the Doctor can assess the fee and decide if he needs to see you in person.

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his/her patients. Our GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time. In addition non-NHS work must be undertaken outside of NHS contracted time. Please bear in mind that it can take up to 28 days to complete requests.

Medicals

If you require a medical, please contact reception to book the appointment. These involve a fee which is payable by cash or card in advance. We operate a 24 hour notice policy should you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment once paid. There may be a waiting list for seafarers and aviation medicals so please give us as much notice as possible.

Social Prescribing

Social Prescribing can help you to feel happier and healthier by encouraging you to join activities in your local area. It is designed to support you if you struggle with your physical or mental health or well-being.

Group activities include things like gardening, walking, eating healthy food, dancing, craft groups, cooking, swimming, yoga and circuit training.

Social prescribing can also help you get advice on housing, debt advice, training, employment and volunteering, and access to mental health support.

Speak to reception to book with the Health & Wellbeing coaches for your initial conversation on what they can do to help you.

Click here for more information on our Social Prescribing Services

You could benefit from Social Prescribing if;

You would like to meet new people or have a regular place to go to each week for some company.

You would like to know more about which types of food are good for you.

You have an illness or condition which could benefit from doing more activity or exercise.

You are stressed or have anxiety or depression.

Stress, anxiety and depression

Having good mental health is important, and affects us all in one way or another - either directly, someone in our family or the people we work or study with.

1 in 4 adults experience at least one mental health problem in any given year.

It's important to make sure that having good mental health is taken as seriously as our physical health, and we make sure patients get the same help for their mental health as they would for a physical problem.

See a GP if you have been feeling depressed or anxious for more that a few weeks or if anxiety is affecting your daily life.