If you or your child are having problems managing asthma, maybe using more inhalers than you should, then please make an appointment to see the doctor. We can provide appropriate education advice and supervision of treatment or you may need a change in your treatment. It has been consistently proven that patients receiving such structured care have fewer problems with their asthma.  The practice nurses are also available to teach or check on correct inhaler technique. Medical or DVO card holders over 18 years with asthma can avail of 2 free check ups per year as part of the HSE's Chronic Disease Management Programme.

One off reading of blood pressure in doctors surgeries have been found to be artificially high in as many as 20% of cases. Monitoring your blood pressure over a full day and night gives us a better idea of what the true picture is like. This service is generally only available in hospital but we can do it for you here.  The doctor will usually advise if you should attend for 24 hour monitoring.  You will need two appointments with the nurse, one to get the device fitted and set up, and the second appointment 24 hours later to get the device taken off and the results downloaded.  The doctor will then review the results and will advise on any action to be taken. 

These are carried out by the practice nurses. All sexually active women between 25 and 60 should have regular smears, every 3 years for those under 45 and every 5 years for women between 45 and 60 years. Cervical check provides these smears free of charge.  You need to register on www.cervicalcheck.ie and when you are sent your ID number you can make an appointment for your free smear.   A smear test takes a double appointment (30 mins) so please advise Reception that you are booking for a smear test when you call . Cervical check will also send you a reminder when your next smear is due.  If you are under 25 and wish to have a smear test there is a charge as these have to be sent to a private lab for testing.

We firmly believe that all children should have their full vaccinations as per the national immunisation schedule.  Once your baby has had is 6 week check-up with the doctor you can book in for the first immunisation which is due at 2 months of age.  We will send you reminders if your child’s vaccinations are overdue.  Unvaccinated children put others at risk.  Small babies, pregnant women, immunocompromised patient such as those on cancer treatment can all be in danger if an unvaccinated child passes on one of the childhood diseases such as measles or whooping cough.  See www.immunisation.ie for more information on the childhood immunisation schedule and helpful hints for after your child's vaccinations.

As well as many other blood tests we provide cholesterol testing in the practice. This is done in the surgery by the practice nurse and these are usually done in the morning before 11am as patients should be fasting from midnight before the test.  You may drink water, black tea or coffee and can take your morning tablets.  You do not normally need to check cholesterol levels more than once a year.  If you are on a statin (cholesterol lowering treatment) it is important that you keep taking it unless the doctor tells you to stop.  It is probably not a good idea to check cholesterol levels immediately after Christmas as we find everyone tends to have increased levels after all the Christmas revelry, better to leave it until the end of January when your eating pattern is back to normal.

The technique uses liquid nitrogen as a quick and convenient way of removing warts, verrucae and other skin lesions.  You can make an appointment with Dr Tadeusz who is trained in cryotherapy for this treatment.  It is covered by the medical card, doctor visit and by most private insurers.  If you have private health insurance, please bring the number with you on the day of your treatment and sign a form to cover your treatment.  If you have a medical or doctor visit card you will need to sign a form at reception to cover your treatment.

The practice is one of the founding practices of the Midlands Diabetes Structured Care Programme(MDSCP). Diabetic patients registered with the practice have regular check ups organised by the practice nurse and doctor with additional specialist advice visiting diabetes nurse specialist, Mairead Mannion when appropriate.  The doctor or nurse will refer you to Mairead if they feel you need her specialist input. Dr Harkins is the GP Leader for the MDSCP and has extensive experience in diabetes care and is the author of the Irish National Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes Care.  If you are diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes you will be called by the practice nurse to attend for a visit, when she will explain the check up visits you will need to keep your diabetes under control.  She will get you to sign a consent form to enrol you on the MDSCP. 

If you suffer from build-up of wax in your ears and need ear syringing, please state so when booking your appointment so that the correct time can be allocated to you.  Ear syringing is carried out by both nurse and doctors.  In order to get a good result from syringing it is important to soften the wax over a couple of nights before syringing, by inserting a few drops of warm olive oil into the affected ear canal and holding it there with a price of cotton wool.  Hard ear wax can be very difficult and indeed painful to remove so it important that it has been softened first.

In this important area we are happy to discuss all methods of contraception to find the one that suits you best.  Long acting contraceptives such as Implanon, a progesterone rod implanted under the skin of the inner arm and Mirena, progesterone coil are fitted at the practice.  Both of these require a double doctor and nurse appointment at the same time so cannot be booked at short notice. 

We provide combined ante-natal care, in conjunction with the maternity hospitals in the area, free of charge under the mother and child scheme. You will have to sign a form at your booking visit to avail of the scheme which covers your ante-natal check-ups only.  Your baby's 2 week check up and both your six week check ups are also covered.  Any incidental illnesses, even if they are pregnancy-related, are not covered by the scheme. Blood tests are also not covered. All pregnant women are recommended to get the flu and whooping cough vaccines in pregnancy, the vaccines are provided free of charge by the HSE but there is a charge for administration of the vaccines if you do not have a medical or doctor visit card.

A range of minor surgical procedures can be performed including removal of simple skin lesions and suturing of lacerations.  These are usually covered by medical or doctor visit card and by most private health insurers.  You will need to bring your policy number and sign a form at reception to cover the treatment.  Lacerations on the face or those that are jagged or very deep will usually be referred to hospital for further treatment.  Removal of sutures after surgery is done by the practice nurse.

Our practice has been designated as a regional yellow fever vaccination centre by the Department of Health. We can provide the full range of travel information and vaccines necessary for safe international travel. This area is a rather complex one so travellers need to book an appointment with one of the nurses to discuss your travel plans and what you will require. You may be able to start some of your vaccinations at this appointment, but most people will need to get vaccines ordered in so another appointment will be necessary. These vaccines should be done at least six weeks prior to departure as some vaccines require a second dose which should be given two weeks before travel so they can be effective.  More information on vaccinations required for travel can be found on www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. Please note that travel vaccinations are expensive and need to be paid for in advance of vaccination as they are usually ordered especially for individuals.  Please ask for a quote when you are booking your vaccinations or see our fees page for more details. Travel vaccines are NOT covered by medical or doctor visit cards.

These are provided as a general health screen. Special emphasis is given to conditions known to occur frequently in men for example coronary heart disease and disorders of the prostate. Measurement of the following may be included in a well man check – cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, urine test, kidney and liver function. Tests to ascertain heart and lung function (cardiography, peak flow monitoring) may be performed.

These are carried out by the practice nurse and a doctor and may include cervical smears, blood pressure checks, weight, urine checks and breast examination.  If you are at increased risk of heart disease you may have cardiography carried out also.