Live Well

Advice, tips and tools to help you make the best choices about your health and wellbeing.

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Women’s Health

Marie Stopes – MSI Reproductive Choices

  • Patients do not need a GP referral to access our treatment:
  • Our telephone line is open 24/7 and is free to use. Patients can call our telephone line for clinical advice, support and information about the choices available to them, we also have interpreters available.
  • We are currently offering a telemedicine service for early medical abortions:
  • The Government recently issued temporary approval of home use for both stages of early medical abortion. Our patients will now be screened via telephone and, if they are eligible (i.e. no risks are identified), we will prescribe medication for home use. The patient will have 24/7 access to our free telephone line, where they can request specialist nurse advice where needed. Any at-risk patient with safeguarding needs will continue to be seen face-to-face in clinic with a nurse or midwife. If you would like some more information on our telemedicine service you can take a look at our webpage. https://www.mariestopes.org.uk/abortion-services/online-medical-abortion/
  • Patients registered at your practice can access treatment at any of our clinics across the UK.
  • A full list of our clinic locations can be found here: https://www.mariestopes.org.uk/find-us/

Screening services

Screening is a way of finding diseases and problems at an earlier stage in apparently healthy people, when treatment will be more successful.

The following screening services are offered as part of the NHS.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is a way of detecting a dangerous swelling (aneurysm) of the aorta – the main blood vessel that runs from the heart, down through the abdomen to the rest of the body. This swelling is far more common in men aged over 65 than it is in women and younger men, so all men are invited for screening in the year they turn 65.

An AAA usually causes no symptoms, but if it bursts, it’s extremely dangerous and usually fatal. Around 8 out of 10 people with a ruptured AAA either die before they reach hospital or don’t survive surgery.

Screening involves a simple ultrasound scan of your stomach (abdomen), which takes about 10-15 minutes.

If you have been invited and lost the details, please contact Tel: 0113 3923740 or Email: [email protected]

Bowel cancer screening programme

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. Screening is offered every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 74 who are most at risk.  A home testing kit that is posted out to you. Please complete and return your testing kit which could save your life as it gives us the chance to detect the disease in its early stages.

Breast cancer screening programme

Breast cancer screening is offered to all women aged 50 – 70 to detect early signs of breast cancer. Women aged over 70 can make their own screening appointments by contacting the Leeds breast screening service on 0113 206 3816.

Breast cancer screening uses an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to feel. If breast cancer is discovered in its early stages, there is a very good chance of recovery.

Women who notice any breast symptoms or changes should make an appointment to see a GP immediately.

Cervical cancer screening programme

Cervical screening is available to all women aged 25 to 64.

If you are registered at the practice you should automatically receive an invitation by post every three years for women aged 25 – 49 and every five years for women aged 50 – 64. You simply need to contact the practice and make an appointment to see a nurse.

It is very important that you make these appointments, as early detection and treatment of abnormal cells can prevent cervical cancer.

If any concerns have been raised in the past, you may be invited for more frequent checks.

Useful external links

NHS Health check

The NHS health check is a free health check-up for adults in England aged 40-74.

You can find more information at the NHS health check.

It aims to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia because as we get older our risk of developing one of these conditions increases.

If you would like to book an NHS health check please contact reception to make an appointment.

The health check only takes about 30 minutes.

The nurse/health professional will ask you some simple questions about your lifestyle and family history, measure your height and weight, take your blood pressure and do a blood test. From this, they can give you an idea of your risks. If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for.

You will then receive personalised advice to help lower your risk. This could include:

  • How to improve your diet and the amount of physical activity you do
  • How to lose weight or stop smoking

If a particular problem is found, such has high blood pressure, then we will make an appointment for you to see a doctor.

Mental health services

There are a lot of services available to support people with mental health issues.

All our doctors are trained to help people suffering from mental health problems. Making an appointment is a good place to start if you are looking for help.

There are also lots of other services locally that are there to support you, many of whom you can refer yourself to.

Services for adults

  • If you are aged 17 or older then a good place to start is the Mindwell website. It is designed to help you understand the common problems that people face and the range of services here to help. It also offers help to those who are worried about others.
  • You might have heard your GP or friend talk about IAPT. This is a range of services that we commonly refer our patients to when they have problems with mental health. Here is a list of what IAPT offer, you can also refer yourself to this service from their website.

Services for children

If you are aged 16 or under, then a good place to start is the MindMate website.

MindMate is specifically aimed at young people and can help you understand the way you are feeling and find the right advice and support. It also offers advice for parents.

Feeling suicidal

If we are open, then please call now to book an urgent same day appointment with one of our doctors.

If we are not open, or you would prefer to get help elsewhere, then please click one of the links below:

I am 17 and older and need help now

I am 16 or younger and need urgent help

End of life care

We work closely with other services to help support people and their families at this very difficult time.

The local service

Together as a team we work with individuals and their families to address physical, emotional, social, spiritual and financial issues.

The core team includes a GP, District Nurse and MacMillan Nurse.

Please book with your GP if you or someone you care for needs help now.

Advice

The Sue Ryder website has some excellent articles called Practical & Emotional Advice, we recommend them highly. Don’t forget to click on the ‘load more’ button on the bottom of the first page, its easy to miss.

Other useful sites

NHS choices page on end of life care.

Also Leeds Palliative Care has a wealth of information on local services.

Wheatfields hospice

St Gemma’s hospice

Weight management

Do you need to lose weight? There are a number of online resources and local clinics that you can access without having to see your doctor for a referral.

Not sure if you need to lose weight then try out this weight calculating tool.

Online help

Advice for adults:

Advice for children:

Face to face support

Support for adults:

  • Weigh Ahead Weight Management Service is the free NHS service that our Nurses and Doctors will refer you to if you need additional support. You can self refer to this service.
  • There are also private services (that you would need to pay for) such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World who both provide popular classes locally.

Support for children:

  • There is a dedicated service for children called Watch It, the details of which are at the bottom of the weigh ahead page. You can self refer to this service.

Stop smoking service

Giving up smoking is always beneficial to your health.

Stopping smoking increases your life expectancy and helps improve your quality of life, not to mention making you wealthier as well!

It is never too late to stop and the NHS is here to help you.
Getting NHS support really works – it can be four times more successful than going it alone (cold turkey) and it’s completely free of charge. So why not try it? You have nothing to lose.

Leeds Stop Smoking Service

This is the service we recommend to our patients. It is free to everyone and has helped over 10,000 people stop smoking in the last 10 years.

If they recommend medication or patches to help you stop then we will prescribe them for you (according to your agreed treatment plan).

Here is a list of Leeds Stop Smoking clinics and when they are held.

How to book an appointment

It’s quick and easy to book your appointment with a Stop Smoking Advisor, simply:

Further information

Electronic cigarettes

E cigarettes are marketed as a cheaper, safer alternative to conventional cigarettes. As they do not produce smoke, research suggests that electronic cigarettes are relatively harmless in comparison with smoking. To find out more have a look at the ASH Briefing on electronic cigarettes.

Local smoke free stories

In need of inspiration? Then why not listen to some people who have been successful at giving up – today is the day.