Author Archives: julianne

Update on Vaccines, Menengitis B (Bexzero)., Varicella(Chicken Pox), Hepatitis A

The latest update from our suppliers is that they hope to have these vaccines available in September 16. We will continue to keep you updated on this.

Bexzero/Men B:

Bexzero has become available now from our suppliers.  We are currently contacting the patients on our waiting list. Please note our supliers have increased the cost of these vaccines and unfortunately the prices have increased:

2 doses = 300 euro ( 2 doses + vat + carriage + administering fee)

3 doses = 400 euro ( 3 doses + vat + carriage + administering fee)

Varicella Vaccine (Chicken Pox):
This vaccine also remains unavailable from our supplier. We have checked with our pharmacy to see if they can source it however they too are finding it is short with their suppliers also.
Hepatitis A:
This vaccine is also unavailable to GPs and while we are continually in contact with our suppliers we are unsure as to when it will be available again. Should you require this for travel purposes it is advisable to contact The Tropical Medical Bureau www.tmb.ie

 

Saturday Surgery

summer

Please note Saturday 25th June will be our last Saturday Surgery for the summer.

It will resume on Saturday 3rd September.

If you need medical assistance during this time please contact

Dr on Duty service on 01 4539333.

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor

We are happy to advise our patients that we can now provide this service in the practice. For further information please go the Services page or read below:

A well accepted method of diagnosing hypertension, high blood pressure is via the ambulatory blood pressure monitor. High blood pressure is often a silent disease and we are always on the look out for it. If any of the clinicians i.e. the GP’s or the nurses suspect you have high blood pressure, you will need to have the monitor to confirm this diagnosis.

Some people just get very anxious when they are in the clinical atmosphere of the practice and their blood pressure goes up, and it returns to normal when they are in their familiar setting. This is called white coat hypertension and by using the monitor we can diagnosis this condition also. Hypertension needs treatment, white coat hypertension does not, it only needs to be diagnosed.

The other use of the monitor in General Practice is to check that treatment is working.

The above are the three reasons that the monitor will be used at The Parks. The necessity for any patient to have the monitor carried out will be clinician led. Patients themselves cannot order the test. The clinicians will suggest the necessity for the test and will take responsibility for managing the result.

If you are diagnosed with hypertension via the monitor you will automatically need a full set of routine bloods and a visit to the GP. If you are suspected of having white coat hypertension and the monitor confirms this diagnosis your result can be given to you over the phone. If you are having the monitor to check that your medication is working correctly, if it is, you can be given the result over the phone, if you need an adjustment in your medication, you will need to be seen by the GP.

Costings.

Monitor, bloods and visit to GP                      150 euro

Monitor and visit to GP                                   120 euro

Monitor alone.                                                    80 euro

Over 70’s Free GP Care

From 5th August any patient over the age of 70 will be eligible for free GP care. Your PPS number and that of your spouse (should they also be over 70) are required for this application. We are inviting all our over 70 patients to apply for this service using one of the following ways to apply:

1) Online at http://www.gpvisitcard.ie
2) Call 1850 252 919 to request an application form to be sent to you
3) Pop into the surgery where we have application forms printed off and will happily assist you with this registration process

For more information please see our Over 70’s tab

Updates to Under 6’s

Registering babies under 2 months with no PPS number

To register your baby without a PPS number go www.citizeninformation.ie search “GP visit cards for children under 6” and you will find the paper version of the application.  Print and complete the form leaving the PPS number blank. Bring to the surgery where Dr Orla McCormack will sign the form and you then post back to the HSE (GP visit card- Under 6’s, PO box 12629, Dublin 11.)

**Please note: NB

As soon as you receive your child’s GMS number (via text and/or post) It is very important that you contact the surgery with this information.  Children are not covered for the under 6’s scheme until this number has been inputted and verified on our system. 

Emergency Appointments for Under 6’s

The morning designated times for under 6’s are for emergencies only.  Routine appointments are carried out in the afternoons. We would ask that you respect the nature of the emergency appointments to ensure the most urgent cases are seen as quick as is possible.

One appointment per child

When making an appointment for the under 6’s please indicate at this stage if the appointment is for 1 or 2 children.  It is not possible for our GP’s to squeeze a second child into an appointment time designated to one child.