Health Care View Map
Important:
As soon as you move to an area of the UK, it is important to register with the doctor, called a GP (General Practitioner) in the nearest surgery.
How to get care:
The following information has been taken from the Department of Health website and the National Health Service Wales.
National Health Service Wales
The National Health Service Wales provides free health care to people
living in Swansea. It is funded by taxation. Asylum seekers are
entitled to access NHS care without charge while their claim or appeal
are being considered. You need an HC2 form, provided by the National
Asylum Support Service (NASS), or available at pharmacies, to receive
free medicines, dental treatment, eye tests and some glasses.
None of the people who work for the NHS, including doctors, nurses and
interpreters, will pass on any information about you to any other
person or organisation without your permission. All medical care is
confidential and does not affect the judgement on your claim for
asylum.
How do I find a doctor in Swansea ?
Your local doctor is called a GP (General Practitioner) To find the nearest doctor in Swansea
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/localservices.cfm?lid=4wg93&type=gp
Our map shows the location of many of the health centres and surgeries in Swansea.
How do I get help with my health?
If you are ill, or worried about your health or the health of anyone in
your family, you should go to see you local doctor, called a General
Practitioner (GP). The GP’s clinic is called a Surgery or a Health
Centre. You
should register with a GP as soon as possible so that you can get
medical care if you need it. To register with the GP you will need to
give your name, date of birth, address and telephone number if you have
one. (For asylum seekers :your support worker, who helped you to move into your
accommodation, will know the local arrangements for registering.) Some
GPs ask all new patients to have a health check. This will usually be
carried out by a nurse. It is important that you go to this
appointment even if you are well.
If a practice will not register you, you can ask the local Primary Care Trust to assign you to a practice.
If you want general advice, or self help information online look at http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ or http://www.nhs.uk/
Health information is offered in other languages
Take responsibility for your own health ! check out the new welsh government health site
http://new.wales.gov.uk/hcwsubsite/healthchallenge/?lang=en
How do I make an appointment?
Before you visit your doctor or one of the nurses at the
surgery you will usually need to make an appointment in person or by
telephone. You can ask to see a male or female doctor or nurse,
although this may not always be possible. You may have to
wait a few days for a non urgent appointment. If you think you need to
see the doctor urgently tell the receptionist when you make the
appointment, and you will be seen that day if appropriate. If the
doctor thinks you are too ill to come to the surgery, he/she may visit
you at home. Appointments with the doctor will be for five
or ten minutes. You need to make a separate appointment for each
member of the family that wishes to see the doctor.
Please make sure that you arrive on time for your appointment and if
you are unable to attend your appointment please make sure you cancel
it.
What if I do not speak English?
If you need an interpreter you must tell the receptionist when you make
the appointment. Tell the staff which language you speak and they will
book an interpreter for you or get an interpreter on the phone. It is
important that you and the doctor understand each other so that he/she
can make an accurate diagnosis of your problem.
Who else works with my GP?
Nurses are very highly trained in the UK.
They take care of many health needs including vaccinations,
contraception advice, chronic illnesses such as diabetes and can give
general health advice. Midwives look after pregnant women
and their newborn babies. Care before the birth of the baby is called
‘ante-natal’ and after the birth ‘postnatal’.
Health Visitors are nurses who specialise in the care of children and
their families and in helping people to stay healthy. They may come to
visit you at your home.
What if I need to see a specialist doctor?
Your GP will usually provide most of your health care and will decide
if you need to see a specialist doctor (a consultant), or if you need
to go to hospital. Everyone in the UK has to wait to see these specialist doctors. The
hospital will write to you with details of your appointment. You must
contact the hospital if you need an interpreter to be present at your
appointment.
Hospital appointments may sometimes be in hospitals some distance from
where you live, although you can get help with costs of travel if you
have an HC2.
Patient Held Records
If you have been given a Patient Held Record (blue book), please take
this with you every time you have an appointment with the doctor or
nurse. The information in this book is for yourself and NHS staff.
No-one else has a right to read this book.
Who else can help me?
Medicines If
your doctor wants you to take medicines he/she will write you a
prescription. Take the prescription to a pharmacy or chemist shop. To
get free prescriptions, you need your HC2 form. The pharmacist can give
advice on the treatment of minor health problems. Some medicines can
be bought from the pharmacist without a prescription, including some
pain killers and cough medicines.
Dental Care If
you have a problem with your teeth you should see a dentist. To
receive NHS dental treatment you need to register with a dentist. If
you have trouble registering with a dentist you can contact NHS Direct,
or the local Primary Care Trust.
Eyesight
If you need your eyes testing or need new glasses (spectacles) make an
appointment to see an optician. They have shops in most town centres.
The HC2 form covers the cost of the eye test and some glasses: ask the
optician about this.
When your GP surgery is closed
GP surgeries are generally open from about 0830 to 1830 Monday to
Friday.
At all other times – at night, on Saturday or Sunday and on
public holidays – medical assistance is available for health problems
that cannot wait until the GP surgery is open.
To
get help you can ring the local out-of-hours service on 0845 46 47, and you can receive advice over the telephone. You may be asked
to visit a GP surgery, or you may receive a visit from a medical
professional at your home.
You can also telephone NHS
Direct on 0845 46 47 for health advice or for medical support when your
surgery is closed. It will cost much less to use a landline, for
example in a telephone kiosk, than a mobile phone.
If you
do not speak English, NHS Direct and the out-of-hours service can
provide an interpreter. All you need to do is say in English the
language you would prefer to use at the beginning of your call. If you
do not speak any English ask a friend or relative or support worker to
make the call for you and wait until an interpreter is on the line
before you describe your problem. You will be asked for some details
such as your name and address: this information is important and is not
shared with anyone else.
To contact NHS Direct for health advice, ring : 0845 46 47
To contact your local out-of-hours service, for medical assistance when the GP surgery is closed, ring 0845 46 47
What to do in an Emergency
In an emergency, if you or someone with you becomes seriously ill and
cannot wait until the GP surgery is open, you can telephone 999 (free
of charge) for an ambulance, or go to the Accident and Emergency
Department of you local hospital.
For example, if you have an accident
e.g. suspected broken bones, moderate to severe cuts etc. you should go straight to the hospital (Accident and Emergency A&E) bypassing
the GP even during surgery opening hours.
If you suspect broken bones
it might be wise to go to Morriston Hospital (A&E) because they
have the trauma centre and Singleton hospital does not have the
facilities to deal with trauma cases.
Bear in mind, this service is
only for emergencies. Do not use the Accident and Emergency Department
for minor medical problems.
Where to go for Mental Health Services?
CREATE Swansea
provides mental health services through an alliance of mental health
day service providers in the Swansea area who offer help and support
for people who suffer severe mental health disabilities or illness. This
is achieved through developing the skills and abilities of day service
users. Through rehabilitation, education and training in the community
CREATE aims to improve the quality of life for those affected by mental
illness.
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