Links to Cancer Screening

Information on symptoms of cancer

You can find lots of helpful information regarding symptoms of cancer to look out for, and when to seek help at the following website:
https://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/

Routine cancer screening programmes

Abington Medical Centre encourage all eligible patients to participate in nationwide cancer screening programmes as follows:

• All adults aged between 60 – 74 years are invited for bowel cancer screening every 2 years.
• All women aged between 47-73 years are invited for breast cancer screening  every 3 years.
• All women aged between 25 – 49 years are invited for cervical cancer screening  every 3 years. Between 50 – 64 years, women are invited for cervical cancer screening every 5 years.

You should receive invitations for these tests when they are due.

Below, you will find more detailed information on the screening programmes, and how to arrange your appointments if you think you are eligible but have missed or not received your invite.

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Bowel Cancer Screening

If you had difficulty returning the initial kit before the due date or did not receive your screening pack, please telephone the following number to arrange a test kit to be sent to you in the post: 0800 707 6060

For more information on what bowel cancer screening is about and what a positive or negative result means, click:

• NHS bowel cancer screening: helping you decide – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Bowel cancer screening | Bowel cancer | Cancer Research UK

To watch a video on how to perform the screening, click:

For bowel cancer screening information in the following languages (Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Farsi, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Urdu, British Sign Language version), click:

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Cervical Cancer Screening

If you think you may be due for a cervical smear, please contact AMC reception team to book this in at the surgery. If you need an evening or weekend appointment, we can book these in at the Extended Access Service at Highfield Clinical Care Centre, located next to Northampton General Hospital.

For more information on what cervical cancer screening is about and what a positive or negative result means, click:

• Cervical Screening | Cervical Smear Test (patient.info)

For cervical cancer screening information in the following languages (Chinese (simplified and traditional), Arabic, Bengali, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu), click:

• Cervical screening: leaflet for women considering screening – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

All women should have cervical smear screening, regardless of sexual activity and orientation. To find out more about why testing is still recommended, click:

• Cervical screening for lesbian and bisexual women – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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Breast Cancer Screening

If you think you may be due for breast screening, please telephone The Forrest Centre on 01604 545825 or 01604 545830 to arrange your appointment.

For more information on what breast cancer screening is about and what a positive or negative result means, click:

• Breast Screening: Benefits, Eligibility, and Frequency (patient.info)

For breast cancer screening information in the following languages (Chinese (simplified and traditional), Romanian, Russian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu), click:

• Breast screening: helping women decide – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

It is also important to regularly check your breasts for signs of cancer between screening appointments. For advice on how to effectively check your breast, click:

• signs_and_symptoms_infographic_2016_final.pdf (breastcancernow.org)

We offer patients with Learning Disabilities, Dementia and Mental Health an annual full medical consultation with a GP, which involves having baseline routine blood tests and an ECG. A member of our team will contact you when this check is due.

Dr Matthew Scott at Abington Medical Centre now offers Minor Surgery excisions of symptomatic lesions:

• Moles (benign).
• Skin cysts.
• Lipomas.
• Skin tags.
• Haemangiomas.
• Dermatofibromas.
• Incisions of boils.
• Aspiration of bursa.
• Aspiration of ganglion.
• Ingrowing toenails: 
  • Toe nail wedge incisions or full nail removal.

Dr Constantinou and Dr Scott offer joint and soft tissue injections for a range of conditions, including:

• Knee osteoarthritis.
• Shoulder tendonitis.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Trigger finger. 
• Bursitis.

If you feel you have a problem that may benefit from an injection please contact one of our doctors to discuss this.  

If appropriate, you can be added to a waiting list for an MSK clinic appointment with a GP at the surgery to assess the problem. If the doctor decides that a joint injection is clinically indicated it can be done at the same appointment. 

Social prescribing is a new service designed to support people over the age of 18 with a wide range of social, emotional or practical needs with the focus on improving mental health and physical well-being.

Social prescribing works for a wide range of patients, including persons:

• With one or more long-term conditions.
• Who need support with their mental health.
• Who are lonely or isolated.
• Who have complex social needs which affect their well-being
• Who are carers.
• Who are frequently attending either primary or secondary health care.

Contact the surgery for further details.

Clinical Pharmacists are experts in medication and have undertaken many years of training to develop an in depth knowledge about how medicines work and their side effects. Many can also prescribe medication for you.

For more information click here

First for Wellbeing clinics offer advice on weight management, emotional wellbeing, financial support, social inclusion, smoking, alcohol, housing support, alcohol, housing support, employment and adult learning. Appointments are completely confidential in person or over the phone.

To contact a member of the team to make an appointment phone on 0300 126 5700, phone lines are open Monday – Friday 08:00 – 18:00.

Visit the website: www.firstforwellbeing.co.uk

First for Wellbeing is not for crisis or emergency situations. If you need urgent assistance please dial 111

Patients over 16 years can now self refer to physiotherapy. Please contact us to ask for a Referral. We will contact you with the outcome within 2 working days. 

If under 16 or if you are already under a consultant or if you have a respiratory or neurological problem then this is not possible and you will need to telephone the surgery. 

Our nurses are happy to conduct a COPD review over the telephone during the Covid pandemic but will need you to click on the link below to check your inhaler technique.

This Asthma UK Website demonstrates inhaler technique.

Please click on this link https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhaler-videos/.

Led by our nursing team, Polly and Sarah offer advice and general health check-ups to patients diagnosed with diabetes. Patients will be contacted by the Practice for their reviews when they are due.