St Mary Cray Practice

St Mary Cray Practice NHS GP Practice, boundary applies, anyone living within the boundary can register to be a patient

24/12/2025

Seasonal greetings to all from everyone at St Mary Cray Practice.
However you wish to spend the day, we hope it’s a joyous one.

For some, this time of the year can be difficult so please do reach out for help if needed

21/12/2025

Covid, flu and the common cold have many similar symptoms, they can all cause - fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, diarrhoea and vomiting, body pains.

🦠Covid:
The current strain causes a particularly painful sore throat. In most people the current strain causes mild illness but can be severe in people aged over 75 or if immunocompromised.
It can cause shortness of breath and loss of taste and smell, though to a lesser extent than previous strains.

🦠Flu:
Sudden onset of symptoms and the cough is dry. It is far worse than the common cold. It causes extreme tiredness and can cause serious illness especially in the vulnerable. The fatigue can last a few weeks.

🦠The common cold:
Comes on gradually over 2 to 3 days and the cough is chesty/wet.
The main symptoms include a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a hoarse voice, a cough, feeling tired and unwell. You may also have a high temperature, aching muscles, a loss of taste and smell and a feeling of pressure in your ears and face.

Most of us are not getting the recommended 30g of fibre a day.Here is some information and suggestions to help.
20/12/2025

Most of us are not getting the recommended 30g of fibre a day.
Here is some information and suggestions to help.

17/12/2025

A surveillance study across 42 countries in Asia, Africa, North and South America and Australasia.

Looking at cancer incidence between 2003 to 2017.

13 cancer types previously reported to be increasing in multiple countries in younger adults (leukemia and breast, endometrial, colorectal, oral, kidney, liver, pancreatic, gallbladder, prostate, stomach, esophageal, and thyroid cancer

Incidence rates increased in younger adults in most (>75%) countries for 6 of the 13 cancer types:
Average annual percentage change (AAPC)

thyroid cancer (median AAPC, 3.57%),
breast cancer (median AAPC, 0.89%),
colorectal cancer (median AAPC, 1.45%),
kidney cancer (median AAPC, 2.21%),
endometrial cancer (median AAPC, 1.66%), and
leukaemia (median AAPC, 0.78%).

Incidence rates for these cancer types also increased in older adults in most countries
Thyroid cancer (median AAPCs, 3%)
breast cancer (0.86%)
kidney cancer (1.65%)
for endometrial cancer (1.20%) and
for leukemia (0.61%)

The exception was colorectal cancer, which only increased in older adults in about half the countries (median AAPC, 0.37%), and the AAPC was greater in younger than older adults in 69% of countries.

For liver, oral, esophageal, and stomach cancer, rates decreased in younger adults in more than half the countries.

To summarise, only colorectal cancer rates are increasing in younger populations. Most cancer rates are increasing across all age groups. These trends are true for developed countries who have the data available.

14/12/2025

As difficult and challenging as this job may be, many hours overtime, pressure and responsibility with limited resources, the benefits outweigh the negatives and overall it is extremely rewarding, the staff, the team around me for all my NHS roles including my trainees also make the job hugely rewarding.

13/12/2025

Subclade K - influenza A/H3N2

12/12/2025

As winter pressures affect hospitals with record numbers of flu admissions, antiviral treatment within 48hours of the flu can help those at high risk of serious illness

09/12/2025

Lung cancer screening in Bromley will be starting from March 2026 and everyone eligible will be contacted by post by 2028.

Eligible patients will receive an appointment by post for a telephone assessment.
High risk patients will be offered a low dose CT scan of the lungs.

Data from pilots starting from 2019 in other parts of England shows evidence that screening high risk patients saves lives and the benefits outweigh the harm.

Lung cancer symptoms:
-unexplained new or old persistent cough
- getting out of breath doing things you used to do without a problem
- feeling tired all the time
- having an ache or pain in chest or shoulder

05/12/2025

Research is increasingly showing that social and psychological factors, such as being connected to others, having an optimistic outlook, and having a positive, resilient mindset, play a critical role in promoting well-being and longevity.

Being socially disconnected is associated with higher risk of illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Loneliness and social isolation have also been shown to increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29% respectively.

Face-to-face contact releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters and they protect you. So simply shaking hands or giving somebody a high-five is enough to release oxytocin, which increases your level of trust, and it lowers your cortisol levels, so it lowers your stress.

Social motivation and social contact can help to improve memory formation and recall and protects the brain from neurodegenerative diseases.

SuperAgers, defined as people aged 80 and above but who have the mental agility of much younger people, appear to have one thing in common: close friends.

A recent study has also found that people who exercised in a group rather than on their own had decreased stress levels and had better mental and physical well-being at the end of a 12-week fitness program.

Enjoying close social ties — with friends, partners, or family members — can make us happy and improve our overall life satisfaction in the long run.

Researchers who have studied the inhabitants of ‘Blue Zones’ around the world (places with a high number of SuperAgers who live >80 years while maintaining good health and cognitive function) have noted that while other elements related to diet and lifestyle varied widely, they all appeared to be dedicated to being highly socially active.

Being happier, learning better, and living longer are all advantages that should motivate us all to get out there and mingle.

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/the-importance-of-connections-ways-to-live-a-longer-healthier-life/

01/12/2025

This got 38k views plus on a different platform so sharing here in case it’s helpful.
GP letters are not necessary for UC/PIP applications.
Any clinic letters you already have is sufficient, also NHS app will give you details of your diagnosis and medication, or you can ask for a printout of these to include.

28/11/2025

Vast majority of coughs/colds/ear infections/sinusitis are Viral illnesses and they get better by themselves.

Seeing a patient as soon as symptoms develop is not helpful, we need to give the body’s own immune system time to work.

Antibiotics can cause more harm than good for viral infections (side effects, alter gut microbiome and resistance).

When you should see a Dr:
⭐️Difficulty breathing
⭐️Underlying chronic conditions at risk of serious infections
⭐️Compromised immune system
⭐️Chest pains
⭐️Uncontrolled fever
⭐️Reduced urine output
⭐️Unable to keep fluids down
⭐️Seriously unwell

After a viral illness it is normal for the cough to linger on for several weeks, more courses of antibiotics do not help.

25/11/2025

Data from 14 000 adults found that the use of saline or gel nasal sprays (non steroidal) prevented full blown symptoms from developing and reduced the days of illness.

The use of the nasal spray at the onset of a cold reduces the number of days with severe symptoms, time off work/normal activities and antibiotic use.

The study was published in the Lancet respiratory Medicine, and was funded by NIHR.
The nasal sprays wash out the virus from the nose and throat and reduce viral load.

It works best if used more often- use at least 6 times a day at the first sign of a cold.

Physical activity and stress management reduced the incidence of symptoms by 5 percent relative reduction.

Address

322 High Street, St Mary Cray
Orpington

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 6:30pm
Thursday 8am - 6:30pm
Friday 8am - 6:30pm

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