Referrals

You can refer yourself for physiotherapy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ for specialist assessment and management of a wide range of common musculoskeletal conditions.

More information, as well as the self-referral forms, are available online.

HEAL-D (Healthy Eating and Living with Diabetes) is a group based training and support programme for adults of African and Caribbean heritage who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

It aims to give you information and support to be confident in taking control of your type 2 diabetes.  It will involve online group sessions that run for 7 weeks.

You can refer yourself here. There is more information about the service available on their website.

To refer yourself to the Long Acting Reversible Contraception service run by Lambeth GP Federation, please fill out this form. A paper version is also available on request.

Please note this service only provides the following:

• Coil removal with replacement at the same appointment
• Coil insertion
• Implant insertion
• Implant removal

Most LARC appointments take place on the second floor above Minet Green Health Practice, at Akerman Medical Practice.

The LARC clinic cannot see patients for any of the following reasons:

• Coil checks
• Coil removals only without replacement
• Continued management of complications and side effects
• Contraceptive injections

If you require any of the above, please contact us directly to arrange an appropriate consultation.

Lambeth NHS Talking Therapies Service (formerly IAPT – Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) is available to anyone 18 years and older who is either a Lambeth resident or registered with a Lambeth GP.

They offer talking therapies for people experiencing anxiety and depression, health anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, traumatic memories and obsessive compulsive disorder. They lso offer help with other problems including living with a long term health condition.

If their service isn’t right for you, they’ll suggest alternatives that are more likely to meet your needs and put you in contact with an appropriate service.

Self-referrals can be made via this online form, or by calling 020 3228 6747.

You can self-refer for maternity care at Kings College Hospital or St Thomas’ Hospital.

You should take over the counter folic acid 400mcg daily for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and vitamin D 1000 units daily throughout pregnancy.

The NHS recommends that people with insomnia or poor sleep are first offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for insomnia. Sleepio is the NHS-recommended digital treatment for insomnia and poor sleep, which delivers CBT for insomnia in 10 minute sessions over six weeks.

It’s fully funded by the NHS, so entirely free for you as a patient.

You can start Sleepio today at sleepio.com/nhs.

Have you got money worries? Are you struggling with your rent, council tax or utility bills? Then our new service, ‘Back on Track’ may be for you. Please follow this link to self-refer to the Back on Track service and get help from our Financial Support Link workers.

Podiatry/foot health appointments can be made by self-referral. Their clinics offer a range of services to assess, treat and advise people on any foot condition.

They aim to:

• prevent future foot problems
• relieve pain
• maintain function and mobility
• prevent or minimise deformity
• reduce the risk of ulceration and amputation

The referral form is available, alongside further information about the services on offer, on the GSTT Community Foot Health website.

Patients requiring NHS funded hearing aids can now refer themselves by completing this form. Please note you cannot self-refer for ear wax removal.

A new specialist care pathway has been commissioned, which aims to ensure people with learning disabilities and autistic people are able to access timely appropriate sight tests and eye care.

A number of local opticians are participating. All you need to do is contact one of them and ask for an Easy Eye Care appointment. There is further information about this service, and a list of the participating opticians on their website.

The opticians closest to the practice who offer this service are Medirex Opticians in Vauxhall, and Banks Optometrists in Brixton.

Easy Eye Care video: a short video giving an overview of why it’s important to have a sight test, what the easy eye care pathway is, how to access it and what to expect at an appointment. The video is available here.

The Minor Eye Conditions Scheme allows patients across Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham to access NHS treatment for a range of eye conditions. Instead of having to visit hospital for treatment, you can now be seen by a highly trained optometrist based in a local optician’s practice.

The aim of the scheme is to allow all patients to be able to access treatment quickly, near where you live and work. Appointments are often available within two days, and many of the practices offer appointments at weekends.

If you are suffering from significant pain, a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes, chemical burns or a penetrating injury then you should go directly to the Eye Casualty department at St Thomas’ Hospital or your nearest A&E.

All of the opticians are able to see and treat patients for a range of conditions such as:

• Red eye
• Sticky eye (difficulty opening your eye or yellow discharge)
• Watery eye (excessive tears)
• Pain or discomfort in or around the eyes
• Recent onset or sudden increase of flashes of light or floating objects in your vision.

If you are unsure whether your eye problem requires medical attention, please call one of the opticians who will be happy to advise you.

Please see this website to find a participating optician near you.