Williton Surgery
Tel: 01984 632701

Watchet Surgery
Tel: 01984 634365

News:

Out of Hours

To contact a doctor when the surgery is closed at weekends and between the hours of 6.30 pm and 8.00 am Monday to Friday, please telephone the main number (01984 632701) and your call will automatically be forwarded to the Somerset Out of Hours Medical Service

Telephone Advice

If you need to speak to a doctor or nurse on the telephone, please try to telephone (Williton 632701) either between 8.30 am and 9.00 am or between 11.30 am and 12 noon, when the clinician is more likely to be available. We try not to interrupt consultations except in an emergency.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

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

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

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.

Useful Contacts

ADVICE LINES & SUPPORT GROUPS
Aids / HIV Advice	0845 1221200
Alzheimer’s Disease Helpline	01984 667430
Bullying Helpline	0207 3781446
Cancer Information & Support Service (CISS)	01823 343839
Carers' Support Worker	01643 707997
Childline	0800 1111
CRUSE (Bereavement Support)	0845 7585565 (Local 01823 276402)
DIAS (Information for the Disabled)	01823 327453
Drugs Helpline	0800 776600
Eating Disorders Association	01458 448600
Gay/Lesbian Support	01823 327078
Homeless – Taunton Association for	01823 271326
Macmillan Nurses	01823 333444/343839
MIND (Mental Health Self-Help)	01823 334906
Parkinson’s Disease Support	0117 9618 470
Relate	01823 275983
Samaritans	08457 909090 (Local 01823 288998)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases	01823 332182/0800 567123
Sexwise – Information Young People	0800 282930
Smoking Quitline	0800 1690169
Turning Point (Alcohol & Drug Abuse)	01823 288174 or 01278 447044
Victim Support (Self Help Group)	01460 55535

CHEMISTS
Lloyds Pharmacy, Williton	01984 632512
Quantock Pharmacy, Watchet	01984 631343
Boots Chemist, Minehead	01643 702004
Lloyds Pharmacy, Minehead	01643 702007

HEALTH SERVICES & ORGANISATIONS
Community Health Council	01823 271618
Community Nurses – Out of Hours	0845 408 8000
Community Psychiatric Nurses	01643 704971
Contraceptive/Sexual Health Clinic	01823 331121 or 01643 707251
Dental – emergency treatment	0845 769 7691
Midwives – Out of Hours	01823 342059
NHS Direct	0845 46 47
Signposts (Health issues information)	0800 317220
Somerset PCT PALS Officer	01278 432013

HOSPITALS
Minehead	01643 707251
Musgrove Park	01823 333444
St Margaret’s Hospice	01823 259394
Somerset Nuffield	01823 286991
Williton Community	01984 635600

OTHER SERVICES
Benefits Agency	01823 349100 or 01278 435100
Citizens’ Advice Bureau	01643 704624
Jobcentres	01643 435800/01823 303100
Jobseeker Direct	0845 60 60 234
Red Cross Equipt Loan – short term	0845 3313331
Social Services	01643 706124 or 01278 431111
Social Services (Out of Hours)	Emergencies - 01458 253241

OUT OF HOURS
Main Surgery	01984 632701
NHS Direct	0845 46 47
Medical Service	0845 408 8000

UNDERTAKERS
Grandfield & Son	01278 732219
Green Undertakings	01984 632285
Hedley Price	01643 703111
Murrall & Dewar	01643 702086
Willicombe F.H. & Son	01984 632420

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct