Women's Health

Cervical Health Check  

 

All women and people aged 25 to 64 with a cervix should receive a routine screening invite letter every three to five years.  Visit the NHS website here>> for more information about cervical screening and why it's important. 

If you missed your last cervical screening, you do not need to wait for a letter to book an appointment. Please contact us to make an appointment with a member of our Nursing or Health Care team. 

Breast Screening

All women who have reached the age of 50 are offered a breast screening service every three years until the age of 65.  You will have a simple screening x-ray called a mammogram. 

Breast screening is a national programme and is not led by the Practice.  NHS England will routinely send an invite letter to eligible patients, with a telephone number for patients to ring and book an appointment. However please make an immediate appointment to see your GP if you discover any breast lump.

For more information on the NHS breast screening programme including when you'll be invited and who should go, please visit the NHS website by following this link>>

a woman having a mammogram

Family Planning

Contraception services are free and confidential, including to people under 16 as long as they are mature enought to understand the information and decisions involved.  For advice on contraception, including emergency contraception, please contact us and ask to speak to nurse or doctor. 

If you have an urgent issue and this is outside clinic opening hours, please follow this link for details of the Emergency service offered by Sexual Health Dorset>> 

You can get impartial help and advice from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. If you have decided to terminate your pregnancy, you can refer yourself by calling 0300 456 2217 to book an appointment.

Menopause

The menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman's oestrogen levels decline. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51. The perimenopausal stage normally lasts for a few years leading up to this.

Symptoms may include some or all of the below and can be intermittent initially

  • Hot flushes / Night sweats
  • Skin dryness/ crawling sensation
  • Anxiety
  • Joint aches
  • Mood changes / Irritability / Tearfulness
  • Poor or no libido / Vaginal dryness
  • Forgetfulness / Poor sleep
  • Urine infections / Urinary incontinence
  • Brain fog
  • Hair loss
 

You are thought to be “post-menopausal” when you have had a year since your last period. (But you are only able to know this if you are not on any hormones or contraception that may affect your periods).

Find information about HRT for menopause symptoms, including the types of HRT, benefits and risks and how to take it on the NHS website by following this link>

If, after reading the information, you feel HRT would be beneficial, please book an appointment to discuss this with your GP and have the following information available:

  • An up to date blood pressure from a home machine or a pharmacy.
  • An up to date weight.