The travel clinic at Laurel Bank Surgery
The Travel Clinic at Laurel Bank Surgery offers a comprehensive service for travellers, including general travel health advice, malaria prevention advice and immunisation recommendations.
I am planning a holiday!
Then we recommend that you make an appointment to see one of the Travel Health Nurses at our Travel Clinic before travelling so that they can assess your individual needs and provide you with advice on immunisations tailored to your journey. Our experienced Travel Health Nurse can advise you on the best course of action based on factors such as age, medical history, local health conditions at your intended destination and the type of accommodation you plan to stay in.
When can I come for advice?
Clinics are open on Mondays and Fridays except bank holidays. Please contact the Receptionist at the surgery to make a suitable appointment: no referral is necessary.
What does it cost?
For a current list of charges go to: Travel Clinic Tariff
Travel health goods are available for purchase making the service a "one stop shop" to meet all your travel health requirements.
If I need to be vaccinated, how far in advance should it be done?
That depends on the length of your trip. Ideally, if you are planning a long journey, you should visit the clinic 6 months before departing. However, if you are going to a popular tourist destination or on a short business trip, a visit to a clinic 4 weeks before would normally suffice.
WHAT TYPE OF MALARIA TABLETS DO I NEED FOR MY TRIP?
There are several different types available and what you need will be discussed in detail with the travel health nurse. This will depend on the countries you plan to visit, the length of your stay and you own personal medical circumstances.
For more details of the tablets and about malaria prevention go to the malaria page.
Is it really necessary?
Some countries require visitors to be vaccinated before they are permitted to enter the country (in cases such as Yellow Fever), and it is strongly recommended that travellers take responsibility for their health care, just as one would take out travel insurance. A vaccination now may cost a little but without one, the potential costs to your future health are immeasurable.
A RETURN TRAVEL MEDICAL EXAMINATION is recommended for anyone who has travelled for an extended period and is free of charge.
Other Places You Can Obtain Independent Advice on Safe Travel
World Health Organisation: International Travel & Health
http://www.who.int/ith
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
http://www.fco.gov.uk
Health advice for travellers - available from the Department of Health
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/index.htm
Journey-specific health advice provided by Health Protection Scotland - good for malaria maps
http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/
For travel health advice, disease prevention, DVT prevention, sun care, insurance issues and how to avoid mosquito bites.
http://www.travelhealth.co.uk