Who is the most appropriate professional for your care?
Please consider what the best options for your healthcare are, based on the urgency of your condition and nature of your ailment. General Practice work in conjuction with other Primary Care providers such as Opticians and Pharmacists who can deliver advice and treatment within the Community.
Care Navigation is about getting the right care, by the right person, first time for our patients in Rotherham. We are offering our patients some alternatives to having a GP appointment, if it is suitable for you.This may save you time in getting the help you need, and avoid arranging an unnecessary appointment with your Doctor.
Have you tried self-care?
A range of common illnesses such as cold and flu and minor injuries can be treated at home simply by combining a well-stocked medicine cabinet with plenty of rest.
Examples of the ailments best treated by yourself are:
- Upset stomach
- Grazed knee
- Common cold
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Colds & Flu
There are a wide variety of helpful Self Care information and resources available which could help you to treat your illness without the need for an appointment:
Get immediate help from your local Pharmacy
Visit a Pharmacy for healthcare advice without an appointment
It is estimated that every year, 50 million visits to the GP are made for minor ailments such as coughs and colds, mild eczema, and athlete’s foot. By visiting your pharmacy instead, you could save yourself time and trouble.
Your local Pharmacist is able to help with minor cuts, sprains, aches and pains, colds and flu, headaches, rashes, cystitis, emergency contraceptive (most Pharmacies now offer this service) and other common conditions.
No appointment is necessary and your local Pharmacist is usually open late, is available at weekends and many public holidays. It will also save you making an appointment with your GP.
New Medicine Service
The New Medicine Service is available at Pharmacies to give you extra help and advice if you’re just starting on a new medicine for one of the following conditions:
- asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- people who have been given a new blood-thinning medicine
More about the New Medicine Service.
Treat Yourself Better
We support the campaign to encourage people to self-treat minor ailments such as colds and flu. The Treat Yourself Better Without Antibiotics website is full of information to help people understand when how long they can expect their symptoms to last for, when they need to see a doctor and when they would be better off visiting their local pharmacist for advice.
Sexual Health Services
All sexual health treatment, advice and a full range of contraceptive services for all ages are available from the Integrated Sexual Health Service based at Rotherham Hospital, with youth outreach services delivered in community venues. This means that sexual health and contraception services previously provided at Rotherham Community Health Centre are provided at Rotherham Hospital.
Our Service is an appointment system Monday-Friday- Please ring 01709 427777 to arrange an appointment.
Pregnant: Worried? Need advice? or Self-Refer
Maternity Care at Rotherham Hospital
Maternity is the care of women and babies during pregnancy, birth and the first weeks after. Our maternity services are in the community, delivery suite on Wharncliffe Ward and our outpatient clinics are held at Greenoaks. We have midwives based both at the hospital and in the community.
Women can refer themselves directly to all of our maternity services, including Pregnancy Advisory Service (PAs), Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU), Antenatal/day ward, triage and delivery suite.
Community Midwives Office
Triage: 01709 427700
Delivery Suite: 01709 424491
Wharncliffe: 01709 424348
B11 ward: 01709 424349 or 425208
Pregnancy Advisory Service: 01709 424542
Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit: 01709 427072
If heavily bleeding please attend your nearest Accident and Emergency Department.
Eye Problems?
Whatever your eye problem your first port of call should be an optometrist. An optometrist is the best person to assess urgent eye problems, check for eye disorders and treat eye conditions. They have the professional training and necessary equipment to assess most eye problems.
If your optician is closed and you can’t wait until it reopens call 111
If you sustain an eye injury that requires immediate emergency treatment go to your nearest Accident and Emergency.
Dental Emergency?
For dental emergencies, call the dentist with whom you are registered. You should receive a recorded message advising you of the arrangements that have been made for emergency cover. If you have not registered with a dentist, please try to do so as soon as possible. Dentist’s can perform an appropriate assessment and advise on necessary intervention including use of any antibiotics.
If you require emergency treatment, you should contact NHS 111
Dental emergencies are: acute dental pain, facial or oral swelling, bleeding from the mouth or trauma.
Self-referral Services: No need to see a GP
Physio First
Physio Assessment Service available for all Rotherham patients. You may be offered a 20 minute appointment, where your condition can be assessed. You do not need to see your GP to be referred, this can be done by Reception if you are suffering with the following:-
- Back Pain
- Spinal Pain
- Neck Pain
- Pain in the elbow, wrist or hand
- Shoulder pain on movement
- Pain in the Hip, knee or ankle
- Sprains/Strains/Twisting Injury
Stopping Smoking
Are you considering stopping smoking?
Stopping smoking is one of the single biggest decisions you can make to living a healthier life. You can quit smoking at any time and even if you’ve smoked all your life, you will see significant improvements to your health within 48 hours of quitting.
Weight Management
If healthier habits and weight loss is your priority this year then there is help and support available for you and your family in Rotherham.
If you’ve lost weight recently, you’re no doubt giving yourself a pat on the back. But for your achievement to really count, you have to keep the weight off. If you want to maintain your weight, you need to adopt a lifelong change to your habits.
Rotherham IAPT
IAPT have a team of Counsellors and Therapist trained to help you with some common mental health issues.
Self-referral contact details
You can refer yourself to this service without a referral from your GP.
Telephone: 01709 447755
Adult Mental Health Services
What to do in an emergency
If you, or someone you know has concerns about their immediate health and you or they are already registered with one of our services then please use the following contact methods to get the help you need:
During office hours
- Phone your GP
- Phone your care coordinator / lead professional or other mental health worker
- Phone Mental Health Access Team/Single Point of Contact – 01302 566999
Outside of office hours
Please phone your local Access/Crisis Team:
- Doncaster – 01302 566999
- Rotherham – 01709 302670
- North Lincolnshire – 01724 382015.
One of our trained call handlers will signpost you to the most appropriate service depending on your level of need. This may include your out of hours GP, a voluntary organisation or our Access/Crisis Team.
Alternatively you can call The Samaritans free of charge on 116 123.
In an emergency, if our staff are busy and you cannot get through straight away, please go immediately to your nearest Accident and Emergency unit at hospital.
If you believe a situation is life threatening please ring the emergency services on 999.
CAMHS -Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Sometimes you may experience emotional difficulties, feel alone and not sure what might help. It can be very difficult to talk about your feelings and what’s happening in your life.
Maybe you feel sad or confused; have experienced a loss, are being bullied or are questioning your sexuality. Whatever the issue, we all need help from other people at times.
In some of our locations we have the opportunity for you to self-refer into our service and meet with us directly to talk through how you are feeling and what support is available for you, please contact your local team if you would like to self-refer. You can also talk to your Teacher, School Nurse or GP.
Telephone: 01302 796191
Do you need Social Care & Support?
If you or someone you know needs help with day-to-day living because of illness or disability, this website explains your options and where you can get support.
Need to speak with someone when the surgery is closed?
Call 111
Call 111 when we are closed to speak to an NHS professional on any urgent health or medical issue.
Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.
Urgent Care Centre
Urgent treatment centres are a facility you can go to if you need urgent medical attention, but it’s not a life-threatening situation.
At the moment, the NHS offers a mix of walk-in centres, urgent care centres, minor injury units and urgent treatment centres, all with different levels of service. You attend the local Walk In Centre, situated on Greasbrough Road, Rotherham which is open, 7 days a week should you need medical advice or treatment.
If you have an emergency please call 999
Medical emergencies can include:
- loss of consciousness
- an acute confused state
- fits that aren’t stopping
- chest pain
- breathing difficulties
- severe bleeding that can’t be stopped
- severe allergic reactions
- severe burns or scalds
It’s important to use A&E only for serious injuries and major emergencies.
Get immediate help for minor injuries
Use your local minor injuries unit if you need medical treatment or advice which does not need a visit to A&E or a medical appointment.
Some examples of problems they deal with:
- sprains and strains
- suspected broken limbs
- minor head injuries
- cuts and grazes
- bites and stings
- minor scalds and burns
- ear and throat infections
- skin infections and rashes
- eye problems
- coughs and colds
- feverish illness in adults
- feverish illness in children
- abdominal pain
- vomiting and diarrhoea
- emergency contraception
Arrange an appointment with the Practice Nurse
The Practice Nurse is usually able to assess the situation and in some cases will organise initial blood tests and other investigations prior to arranging a follow up appointment with your doctor.
The Practice Nurse complements the service that we offer to you, our patients. Please be assured that a doctor’s appointment will always be available should you prefer but you may get an earlier appointment if you opt to consult with the Practice Nurse.
See a Nurse about: blood pressure checks, rash, urine infection, cervical smears, dressings, family planning advice, contraceptives, immunisations, diabetes management, asthma care, COPD, heart care, smoking cessation, free health checks for 40-70 year olds, travel advice, removal of stitches and clips etc.
Call the surgery on 01709 559955 to arrange an appointment with a nurse and you may be seen more quickly.
Need medical advice or treatment from one of our doctors?
Some patients, often those with complex and long-standing medical problems, may need an appointment with a doctor.
Call the surgery on 01709 559955 to arrange an appointment with a doctor
