Get healthy in the New Year

We have lots of help to make sure you can keep your New Year resolutions to keep healthy!

Quit Smoking

The NHS Quit website can be found here but if you ask at reception we can direct you to local services for help stopping. We prescribe patches, gum, sprays, tablets and even nicotine inhalers to help you stop.

Drink Sensibly

After a boozy Christmas and New Year if you want to check if you are drinking too much then click here for the NHS Drinkaware website. The safe drinking limits advised by the NHS are 3-4 units per day for men - that is one and half pints of 4% alcohol beer and 2-3 units per day for women - that is one 175ml glass of wine per day. To find out how many units are in what you are drinking then the NHS Drinkaware website has a really good calculator - click here

Lose weight

If you want help losing weight you could contact the NHS Health Trainers in the surgery by speaking to reception or ringing 01977 665717. If you are very overweight (a BMI over 30) there is a new NHS weight loss service called 'Shape Your Weight' which aims to help people lose weight the healthy way. To work out your BMI click here. To join this programme you can either ring the team directly on 01977 665717 or speak to your GP or practice nurse.

Respond to screening letters

There are three national cancer screening programmes that aim to pick up cancer early, before it gives you any symptoms, because if you pick it up earlier it is easier to treat and your chances of being cured are hugely increased. The three programmes are:

  • The Breast Cancer Screening programme invites women between 50 and 70 every 3 years for a screening mammogram. You should have had your first invite by your 53rd birthday. 
  • The Cervical Screening programme invites women aged 25 - 49 every three years for a cervical smear test and from 50 - 64 every five years. 
  • The Bowel Cancer screening programme invites people in their sixties every two years for a bowel cancer screening test.
These screening programmes do work and I am sure that by diagnosing cancer early we are saving lives. So do respond to the invitation letters to participate in these screening programmes and if you are in the right age group and have not heard then contact the surgery.

Good luck with your New Year resolutions!

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