The Medical Group

20/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our smear clinic on Saturday at Tow Law 🩷

Details of our next clinic are now available:

💗Walk In Smear Clinic💗

Saturday 2nd May 2026
9am - 12:30pm
Esh Winning Surgery

"Hi. My name is Kate and I am a Practice Nurse who will be running a walk in smear clinic at Esh Winning Surgery on Saturday 2nd May.
This is available to all of our patients at all 5 surgeries sites including:
➡️ Esh Winning
➡️ Meadowfield
➡️ Langley Park
➡️ Ushaw Moor
➡️ Tow Law
‼️All ladies who have had their smear invite are eligible to attend.‼️
Please note you do not need an appointment, you can just walk in between 9am - 12:30pm
You will be greeted on reception by Louise and Karan.
I hope to see you there 😊💗"

Please note - If the clinic reaches full capacity it will unfortunately finish earlier than planned to ensure the nurse can continue safely. This will be reviewed by the Practice Nurse on the day depending on the time and how many patients she has still waiting to be seen already in the waiting room.

16/04/2026

Reminder of our Walk In Smear Clinic this weekend 💕💕

🩷Walk In Smear Clinic🩷

Our next walk in smear clinic will be at:

Tow Law Surgery
Saturday 18th April
9am - 12:30am

This clinic will be run by our Practice Nurse, Sue and you will be greeted on reception by Kirstie and Ellie. The clinic is available to all patients who are registered at The Medical Group, whose smear is due and have had their invite letter. Our 5 sites include:

🩷Meadowfield
🩷Esh Winning
🩷Langley Park
🩷Tow Law
🩷Ushaw Moor

Please note - If the clinic reaches full capacity it will unfortunately finish earlier than planned to ensure the nurse can continue safely. This will be reviewed by the Practice Nurse on the day depending on the time and how many patients she has still waiting to be seen already in the waiting room.

14/04/2026

Reminder of our Smoking Cessation Service available at The Practice. 🚭🚭🚭🚭🚭

🚭🚭New Smoking Cessation Service 🚭🚭

My name is Julie Phillips and I am a Smoking Cessation Advisor based at Ushaw Moor, Meadowfield and Esh Winning GP surgeries.

My career background is that I have worked for the NHS as a nurse for 41 years. I will be offering a smoking cessation service to anyone who would like to quit smoking. The programme is not for cutting down ci******es, but to set a quit date and following the "not a puff" rule, so that patients have the best possible chance of quitting smoking. I am providing a 12 week programme consisting of face to face and telephone consultations, carbon monoxide monitoring, ni****ne replacement therapy and behavioural support. If you are interested in quitting smoking, please contact your GP surgery and ask to be referred to the Smoking Cessation Advisor.

This service is available for most patients over 18 who are registered with one of our 5 surgery sites within The Medical Group. There may be some exclusions however if this is the case, Julie will be able to point you in the right direction of a more appropriate service.

14/04/2026

Ushaw Moor Patients Only

💉RSV Vaccination Clinic – Saturday 25th April💉

Ushaw Moor Surgery will be running an RSV vaccination clinic on Saturday 25th April, from 9am to 12pm, for patients aged 75 and over who are registered with Ushaw Moor Surgery.

⭐️This clinic is by appointment only⭐️

Eligible patients should have received a text message containing a link to book an appointment.
🟡If you’ve received this text, please use the link to book your slot.

🟡If you’re unsure how to use the link, please contact the surgery and the team will book the appointment for you.

🟡If you are 75 or over and have not received a text, please contact the surgery so an appointment can be arranged.

What the RSV Vaccine Is For
The RSV vaccine helps protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common cause of coughs and colds. Most people experience RSV several times in their lives, and it usually clears on its own. However, in some people—particularly older adults and babies—RSV can lead to more serious illnesses, such as:

Pneumonia (lung infection)

Bronchiolitis (chest infection, especially in babies)

These conditions can cause significant breathing difficulties, may require hospital treatment, and can be life‑threatening.

RSV can also worsen symptoms in people with existing lung conditions, such as COPD.

The RSV vaccine helps reduce the risk of developing serious breathing problems like pneumonia and bronchiolitis.

07/04/2026

Practice Workload for all 5 sites - March 2026

👨‍⚕️Appointments Attended - 13,175
❌Appointments Missed - 388
📞Phone Calls Answered - 19,247
🖥️Referrals Made - 1134
📱E-Consults - 1109
⌨️Advice & Guidance Requests sent to Consultants - 154
🏠Home Visits - 234
💊Medication Reviews - 614

Well done to all of our staff - another month of hard work as always 🙌🙌

02/04/2026

Easter Eggstravaganza 🐥🐣🌻🎨

The Fair Exchange Community Garden

Saturday 4th April 2pm - 4pm

See the poster for the email address to book your place 🙂

02/04/2026

Hello, it’s Claire here.

I’m one of the nurses at The Medical Group, and as April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to share my story to help raise awareness and encourage others to take screening seriously.

🎈 Turning 50 & Screening - Last year, I turned 50 and received my bowel cancer screening kit in the post. As a nurse, I know how important screening is — it’s designed to prevent or detect cancer early, often before symptoms appear.

🧪 My Test Came Back Positive - I completed the kit, and the result was positive. Further investigations found bowel cancer, and I needed surgery. Cancer was also found in the lymph nodes, and I was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer, followed by six months of chemotherapy.

⚠️ I Had NO Symptoms! This is why screening is so important. Without it, the outcome could have been very different.

💙 My Message to You: When your bowel screening kit arrives, please do it. It could save your life.

Please also be aware of possible symptoms:
🩸 Blood in your poo
🔄 Change in bowel habits
⚖️ Unexplained weight loss
🤕 Pain or lump in your tummy

Useful Links for further information
🔗 bowelcanceruk.org.uk/screening
🔗 bowelcancer.org.uk/symptoms

I am now completing my treatment and looking forward to returning to work in the coming months.

Claire x

01/04/2026

Easter Opening Hours 🐤🐣🐥

The surgery will be closed the following days:

Good Friday - Closed
Saturday 4th April - Closed
Easter Sunday - Closed
Easter Monday - Closed

The surgery will re-open Tuesday 7th April at 8am.

If you need medical help or advice over the bank holiday weekend, please contact NHS 111.

‼️If you have a Life Threatening Emergency, please dial 999.‼️

We hope everyone has a lovely Easter Weekend ☺️

31/03/2026

Browney Resident's Group

Pie & Pea Supper Fundraiser for the Browney Lodge Banner - Miners Gala 2026.

Thursday 2nd April at 7pm - The Browney

31/03/2026

🌟 Important Information for Parents and Guardians 🌟

As part of NHS guidance, when a child reaches 11 years old, a parent or guardian’s proxy access to their online medical record will be automatically switched off.

We know this can feel like a big change, but it’s done to help protect young people as they start to gain more independence. From age 11, children begin to have more say in their own health and who can see their medical information. This helps us make sure their privacy is respected and their wellbeing is supported.

This does not mean you can’t continue helping your child with their health needs. If you feel you still need access—for example, to manage appointments, medicines, or ongoing care—please contact the practice. We’ll be happy to talk with you and your child to find the right level of access going forward.

Thank you for your understanding and for working with us to support your child’s health.

27/03/2026

🌻The Fair Exchange Community Garden🌻

Sowing & Planting Event

Saturday 28th March at 2pm