We have access to Travel Advice and Immunisations
Are you planning or have you booked a trip abroad and are seeking travel health advice? The Surgery @ Wheatbridge offers a travel clinic service.
We would first ask you complete a travel risk assessment form at least 6 weeks before travelling. So we can assess your risk, the recommended vaccines, any necessary malaria tablets (if you’re travelling to a malarious region) and the advice most appropriate for your needs. Once you have completed and returned this form to The Surgery @ Wheatbridge, we will contact you within one week to let you know if you need to attend for an appointment which we would then advise you book.
We regret that no traveller will be seen without a completed risk assessment form.
Under the services a GP provides for travel, there is an obligation to give vaccines to provide protection against hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus, polio and diphtheria and travel advice free of charge.
The Surgery @ Wheatbridge are no longer a yellow fever vaccination centre, so we are unable to offer you yellow fever vaccination, if you need this vaccine you would need to travel to a private travel clinic for this. These vaccines are not free on the NHS and we usually have a charge attached to them. https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/search-centres
To help us give you the best possible care, it is essential that you help us in our work by following the instructions below.
Every potential traveller MUST complete a travel risk assessment form before their appointment with a nurse.
If you are travelling in less than 6 weeks and need vaccinations we may not be able to fit you in for your travel vaccines, in this case we will give information of other providers who can give these vaccines.
How do you do this?
- The Travel Risk Assessment Questionaire is now sent out via SMS. Please ask reception to send you this accurx Questionaire
We would also ask you to go to https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries and look up the destination you are travelling to, print off the information, read it and bring with you when you attend your appointment
Specialist Nurse – travel and childhood immunisations
Availability:
Travelling Abroad for extended periods
By law, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for the medical care of patients when they leave the UK. People traveling within Europe are advised to carry an authorised UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC or EHIC) at all times and this gives entitlement to reduced cost (and sometimes free) medical treatment. Patients should be advised to check specific entitlements prior to travel.
- For patients who will be out of the country for less than 3 months, it is reasonable to provide sufficient medicines for an existing condition (i.e. asthma, diabetes). The practice will supply up to 3 months of medication for this purpose after reviewing each patient request. This is as the prescriber cannot review or amend any medication for a patient outside of the UK, but the prescriber remains responsible for the prescriptions they sign and must be prepared to explain any decisions made when prescribing and monitoring, therefore less that 3 months may be supplied.
- For patients leaving the country for more than 3 months, they should be advised to register with a local doctor for their continuing medical needs. It is reasonable for GPs to provide sufficient medication to give patients time to do this. No medication will be issued once we are aware the patients is out of the country above a 3 month period as the prescriber cannot review or amend any medication for a patient outside of the UK, but the prescriber remains responsible for the prescriptions they sign and must be prepared to explain any decisions made when prescribing and monitoring. Any patient we are made aware of being out of the country for over 3 months will be removed from our practice list, but can re-register once they are back in the country.
GPs are not required by their Terms of Service to provide prescriptions for the treatment of a condition that is not present and may arise while the patient is abroad. Persons who have left the UK, or who are intending to leave the UK, for more than 3 months are not normally allowed to continue to be registered with a practice.
The NHS accepts responsibility for supplying ongoing medication for temporary periods abroad of up to 3 months. The practice will supply medication for a maximum of 3 months for this purpose. If a person is going to be abroad for more than three months then all that the patient is entitled to at NHS expense is a sufficient supply of his/her regular medication in order to get to their destination, where they should then find an alternative supply of that medication.
Travellers should check the regulations on importing or transporting medicines to their chosen destination by contacting the relevant embassy or high commission, or by checking the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) country advice.
Travellers who are taking certain ‘controlled drugs’ may be required to obtain an export licence prior to transporting set quantities (usually three months’ or more supply) into or out of the UK. The application should be made at least 10 days prior to travel. Some examples of controlled drugs include: diamorphine, diazepam, codeine, fentanyl, methadone, morphine, pethidine, Ritalin and temazepam. Further information on the drugs requiring an export license, as well as application forms can be found on the GOV.UK website https://www.gov.uk/take-medicine-in-or-out-uk. Those carrying controlled drugs and other prescription drugs on shorter trips are advised by the Home Office to obtain and carry a letter or prescription from the GP or prescriber detailing the medicines.
For more information on taking medicine abroad see: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/43/medicines-and-travel