Sonning Common Health Centre
Wood Lane
Sonning Common
Reading
RG4 9SW
Tel: (0118) 972 2188

News:

Announcements

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

Outbreak probe at industry sites

There are now 12 cases linked to a Legionnaires' outbreak, as health officials focus on south Wales industrial sites in the search for the cause.

More obesity ops 'will save cash'

Millions of pounds are lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says.

Inquiry to hear from HIV victims

The injury into contaminated NHS blood products in the 1980s will hear from the victims who contracted HIV and Hepatitis.

Statins 'may cut arthritis risk'

Taking statins may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests.

Call for morning sickness action

More needs to be done to establish which are safe and effective ways to relieve morning sickness, experts say.

ME 'virus link' found in children

ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in children could be caused by a virus, scientists say.

UK radiotherapy 'lagging behind'

Too few UK cancer patients are receiving state-of-the-art radiotherapy care, experts from Cancer Research UK say.

'Genetic link' to breast cancer

Researchers have identified a series of genetic variations which may play a role in a common breast cancer.

Gaps persist in cancer survival

Despite significant improvements in cancer survival rates across England, regional differences remain, national statistics show.

Bipolar 'not linked to violence'

People with a mental illness are no more likely to be violent unless they abuse drugs or alcohol, a study suggests.

Yahoo Health

Group backs mandatory flu vaccinations for doctors (AP)

AP - The nation's largest pediatricians' group is endorsing mandatory flu vaccinations for doctors, nurses and other health workers.

CVS Caremark to give away up to $5M in flu shots (AP)

AP - CVS Caremark Corp. said Wednesday it will give away up to $5 million in seasonal flu vaccinations to people without health insurance.

AP Exclusive: Back to work after salmonella case (AP)

** ADDS COMPLETION OF THE SECOND SENTENCE - FILE - In this March 12, 2009 file photo, Peanut Corporation of America's president Stewart Parnell, arrives a federal court in Lynchburg, Va. The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were implicated in a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business, as the federal government's criminal investigation against him has languished for more than 18 months, The Associated Press has learned. (AP Photo/Don Petersen, File)

AP - The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were blamed in a salmonella outbreak two years ago that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business.

US smoking rate still stuck at 1 in 5 adults (AP)

AP - U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly, frustrated health officials reported Tuesday.

FDA cites claims on 2 green tea beverages (AP)

AP - Federal health regulators have issued warnings to the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages.

FDA relents from midodrine withdrawal plan (AP)

AP - Federal regulators have backed off a plan to remove a Shire PLC low blood-pressure treatment from the market after warning in August that the drug has not been proven effective.

Report says obesity surgery can save health costs (Reuters)

Reuters - Providing surgical treatment for people who are morbidly obese could save British taxpayer-funded health services and the wider economy hundreds of millions of pounds a year, leading surgeons said on Wednesday.

For Bonobo Males, Mom Is the Best Wingman (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - To most human males, the thought of your mother anywhere near your sex life is probably horrifying. Not so for the bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives. A new study confirms that hanging out with mom boosts male bonobos' chances of getting intimate with a fertile female.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 8, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Health Tip: Stay Safe Around the School Bus (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Teaching children to take precautions while waiting for, entering and exiting a school bus can help keep them safe.

MedPage Today

Flu Vaccine a Must for All Healthcare Workers, AAP Says (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- All healthcare personnel should be required to get vaccinated against influenza, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Short Therapy for Ear Infections More Prone to Failure (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A short course of antibiotics for acute otitis media in children is slightly more likely to fail than a longer course, researchers reported.

Geometric Patterns Mesmerize Autistic Tots (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A toddler's fixation on geometric patterns may be an early warning sign of autism, researchers found.

Lack of Sleep Linked to Distress in Young Adults (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Skimping on sleep can increase the risk for common psychological problems such as low mood and anxiety, according to a large prospective study.

Treating the Poor Linked to Poor Performance Rating (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Physicians who see more socially disadvantaged and nonwhite patients received overall lower-quality performance ratings -- while doctors who see fewer such patients received higher rankings, researchers found.

Scars Increase Risk for Kidney Grafts (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Scarring and mild inflammation of kidney transplants that develop in the first year predict eventual graft failure, researchers found.

Adjuvant Chemo Drugs Equal for Pancreatic Cancer (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Gemcitabine (Gemzar) doesn't improve survival in patients with resected pancreatic cancer compared with other chemotherapy, researchers found.

Judge Won't Lift Block on Stem Cell Research Funding

(MedPage Today) -- Federal spending of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research will remain off-limits for now, a federal judge ruled, dealing yet another blow to the Obama administration's efforts to support such research.

Cigarette Smoke May Affect Fertility (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Smoking may provide an explanation for reduced fertility, results of two studies suggested.

Adult Smoking Hits Plateau

(MedPage Today) -- One in five U.S. adults continues to smoke tobacco -- a percentage that hasn't budged since 2005 -- suggesting that more aggressive efforts are needed to reduce smoking-related diseases and deaths, the CDC said.

Missed appointments
We currently have a very high demand for appointments, which is putting huge pressure on our appointment system. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please could you telephone the appointments line on 0118 972 2745 and let us know. Even calling 10 minutes before the appointment was due would a great help!

Urgent Appointments

If you feel that you need to be seen by a doctor or nurse on the same day for an urgent problem, then phone the appointments line (0118) 972 2745 and you will be offered telephone advice, an urgent 5-minute appointment with a doctor or a nurse appointment.

If you have a 5-minute appointment, the doctor will only be able to deal with the urgent problem requiring immediate medical attention. If you wish to raise any other matter with the doctor, please book a routine appointment at reception.

Routine appointments

All consultations (except in an emergency) are by appointment.

Phone the appointments number (0118) 972 2745 between 8.30am - 1.00pm and 2.00pm - 6.00pm (weekdays). The receptionists will try to fit you in at a time convenient to you, but there are one or two points it may be helpful to bear in mind.

Routine appointments are usually available from:

8.10am to 10.40am, 11.30am to 12.10pm and 4.00 to 6.00pm Monday - Friday
8.30am to 10.40am, 11.30am to 12.10pm and 4.00 to 8.30pm on Wednesdays
8.10am to 10.00am on Saturdays
except weekends and public holidays

If you feel you need to see a doctor urgently, please make this clear to the receptionist. If your own doctor is fully booked you will be able to see one of the others if you wish.

Saturdays

All of the Saturday appointments are pre-bookable. There are no urgent walk-in appointments available. If you need urgent medical attention between 6.30pm on Friday and 8.00am on Monday, you are advised to contact the out of hours service (on 0845 345 8995) or NHS Direct on 0845 46 47

The surgery will be staffed by one GP and a receptionist and you will not be able to contact the surgery by telephone. The services offered during the extended hours surgeries will be limited to the GP. There will be no service from the treatment room, phlebotomist, dispensary or hospital.

If you, or someone you are bringing to the Health Centre, is vomiting, has a rash or might be infectious, let the receptionist know so that she can put you in a separate room.

If you find that you do not need your appointment after all, please phone to cancel it, so that it can be offered to someone else.

Please note that because the appointments line (0118) 972 2745 is separate from the main phone system, you can only speak to the appointments receptionist on it. For all other enquiries phone the main number (0118) 972 2188.

Consulting Times

See the Doctors' Consulting Times page