Each member of our team has different skills and roles. Let’s get you to the right one.

Who do you need to get in touch with?

If you become unwell or are injured make sure you choose the right NHS service to make sure you get the best treatment. Choosing Well website explains what each NHS service does, and when it should be used.

choosewellwales.org.uk

Choosing Well means that you and your family will get the best treatment. It also allows busy NHS services to help the people who need them most

Alternatively, take a look at the options below. If you’re still not sure, get in touch with our reception team.

01639 622 050

Monday to Friday

08:00 to 18:30

Triage times are open between 08:00 and 11:00am. Triage may be closed sooner depending on capacity. If your call is urgent for the same day, we will aim for you to receive a call back. If it is not urgent for the same day, we would recommend calling back. 

Our reception team will take some details which will be reviewed by our clinicians who will get back to you as soon as they can.

We apologise that we cannot guarantee when you will be called back because the clinicians are often dealing with those more acutely unwell or requiring urgent medical attention first.

If you are not feeling unwell and are waiting, please take a look at the Symptom Checker online.

Do NOT wait for a call back if you require A&E/999.

 

Which team member should you get in touch with?

General Practitioner

The GPs tend to deal with the more complex problems. They triage calls to direct enquiries to the right team member. In addition to the serious cases, they would also support other clinical enquiries and review cases that presented more than expected.

Nurse Practitioner

The Nurse practitioner is another senior clinician that carries similar roles to the GP.

GP Registrar

These are qualified doctors that are specialising to become general practitioners.

Practice Nurse

Our practice nurses see a great variety of minor illnesses as well as managing chronic conditions clinic, like diabetes, asthma, COPD and heart failure.

Pharmacist

Did you know your pharmacist can help with some minor illnesses too?

Pharmacy Technician

Medication queries? Warfarin Clinic. Recent recommendations from hospitals?

Prescribing Clerk

Medications on your repeat

Health Care Support Worker

BP checks, ECG, bloods, wound clinics, some injections and more

Paramedic

The paramedic is our community clinician who carries out the majority of home visits to those that are housebound or too frail to be seen by surgery.

District Nurses

Community based nurses

Administrative Team

From medical secretaries to IT specialists…

Practice Manager

Minor Injuries

Urgent care Minor Injuries at Neath Port Talbot Hospital sees things like cuts, burns, insect stings and broken bones. Check out their NHS site for more info if Minor Injuries is the right place.

111

If you need urgent medical help but it is NOT an emergency.

A&E

Loss of Consciousness, severe bleeding, stroke, major trauma, acute confused states/seizures that are not stopping.

See this NHS page about when to go to A&E. Otherwise, please see what are more appropriate services

999

When you need to go to A&E but have become too unwell to get there safely.

119

For those who need testing for COVID-19

 

Reception Team

They can help with various enquiries like informing you of test results after they have been actioned by the clinician.

SELF CARE ADVICE

Many minor illnesses can get better on their own or with some self care measures.

Take a look at the NHS Symptom Checker to see whether you can manage on your own or whether this needs to be seen by a clinican.

Swansea Bay Urgent Care Advice

Source: https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/urgent-care-out-of-hours/need-urgent-care/

 

For access to a Covid-19 test go to this page. Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms: a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss or change of taste or smell should STAY HOME and only go out to get a test. You can access the Covid-19 symptom checker here.

  • For advice 24/7 when it is URGENT but NOT AN EMERGENCY ring 111. For more information on what the 111 telephone service is and how it can help please see below

  • For the GP out-of-hours service, which covers the periods when your doctors’ surgery is closed, ring 111

  • For minor injuries, please visit our Minor Injury Unit at Neath Port Talbot Hospital. Visit this page for more information. The MIU treats injuries to the body and cannot deal with patients with symptoms of Covid-19 or any other illness.

  • You can also visit our NHS Direct Wales online symptom checker

  • If it is a serious or life-threatening illness or injury ring 999 or go to the Emergency Department.

111 telephone service

111 is the free-to-call number for people to access the right care from the correct professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It brings together NHS Direct Wales and GP out-of-hours services.

How it works:

  • Your call will be answered by an experienced and highly-trained call handler who will ask a series of questions which will help them to identify the urgency of the call.
  • Those calls will go to a nurse advisor for telephone triage. They will provide advice on the care that is needed whether that be self care or referral on to another service such as an out-of-hours GP appointment, Minor Injury Unit or Emergency Department.
  • A special team of GPs, nurses and pharmacists are also available during evenings and weekends to deal with certain calls including those about minor illnesses or medicine management.
  • Please switch off WiFi calling if you are using a mobile phone, as this app prevents the service recognising your location, so you may have difficulties getting through to the Welsh 111 service. Please use your normal mobile phone provider service instead to ring 111.

Below you will find further advice on how to receive care for minor conditions/dental care or to find your local NHS service

Pharmacies/chemists

Visiting your local pharmacy is a great way to access prompt advice and treatments for common conditions, especially after GP surgeries have closed for the day and on the weekends.

Some of the work traditionally done by GPs is now done by pharmacists instead. This includes giving prescription-only medications for a number of minor ailments when necessary without the need to see a doctor. And, like other medications in Wales, these are also free.

You have to register with the pharmacy to use the scheme, but the process only takes a few minutes.

Consultations are carried out in a private room and if the pharmacist decides you still need to see a doctor they will refer you.

Common ailments covered by the scheme
  • Acne
  • Athletes’ foot
  • Backache (acute)
  • Chickenpox
  • Cold sores
  • Colic
  • Conjunctivitis (bacterial)
  • Constipation
  • Dermatitis (acute)
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dry eye
  • Haemorrhoids
  • Hayfever
  • Head lice
  • Indigestion/reflux
  • Ingrowing toenail
  • Intertrigo/ringworm
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Nappy rash
  • Oral thrush
  • Scabies
  • Sore throat/tonsillitis
  • Teething
  • Threadworm
  • Vaginal thrush
  • Verruca

From 1st December 2019, 22 local pharmacies are also offering a see and treat service for patients over the age of six with sore throats. They offer a while-you-wait swab test to determine if the sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection. If it is, you can be offered antibiotics directly by the pharmacist, without needing to get a prescription from a GP. To find out more, please click on this link to see the list of pharmacists participating in the see and treat sore throat service.

Dentists

If tooth or gum pain develops contact your own dentist as they can provide emergency treatment.

If you are not registered with a practice or develop a problem outside of normal working hours ring 111 and they will help you find your nearest emergency dentist.

If you receive urgent dental treatment the charge will be £14 unless you are exempt from paying NHS charges. If you do not have to pay for treatment, you will be asked to provide evidence of this when you attend the practice.

Toothache on its own (for example, toothache with no other accompanying symptoms or signs) is not a dental emergency. Patients with toothache should not attend an Emergency Department.

Opticians

Your local optician can provide emergency appointments.

Physiotherapy

Go to this page for contact details and information on how to access outpatient physiotherapy.

Sexual health

The sexual health services helpline is open Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4.30pm and Friday 8am to 2pm. Tel: 0300 5550279.

Go to this page for more information on our sexual health services, guides to STIs and contraception and our Pregnancy Advisory Service.

Minor injury

Adults and children over the age of one who have had an accident within the last couple of weeks can be seen at the Minor Injury Unit at Neath Port Talbot Hospital,

It is open between 7.30am and 11.00pm, seven days a week, at Neath Port Talbot Hospital, Baglan Way, Port Talbot, SA12 7BX. Contact number: 01639 862160

An experienced team of specially-trained emergency nurse practitioners, triage nurses and health care support workers treat patients for minor conditions including:

  • cuts and minor burns
  • sprains and strains
  • broken bones
  • dislocation of the shoulder, fingers and toes
  • head and facial injuries with no loss of consciousness and the patient is not taking anticoagulant (blood thinner) medication.
  • neck injuries, where you are mobile with no pins and needles in your arms
  • back injuries where you are mobile and the pain has not occurred from you twisting your back or lifting something
  • foreign bodies to eyes, ears and nose
  • non-penetrating eye and ear injuries
  • rib injuries where you are not coughing up blood and you don’t have a chest infection
  • bites (insect, animal or human)
  • insect stings
  • assaults.

The team CANNOT TREAT:

  • symptoms of Covid-19
  • colds, coughs, sore throats, earache, rashes, temperatures
  • urinary infections, cystitis or catheter problems
  • dental problems
  • accident with injury to abdomen/stomach
  • chest pain
  • breathing problems
  • stroke
  • painful limbs, joints or backs
  • skin complaints including boils and rashes
  • wounds that have not been caused during an accident.
Singleton Minor Injury Unit

Please be aware that the Minor Injury Unit at Singleton Hospital is temporarily closed, pending consideration by the health board and Community Health Council on the way forward.

Mental Health Crisis

Need help fast?

There are a number of FREE helplines and websites:

Toolkit for young people aged 11-25

Are you a young person finding the pandemic a difficult time? In recognition that many young people are finding the current situation challenging Welsh Government has created an online resource which promotes the numerous digital tools designed specifically to support young people with their own mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The Young Person’s Mental Health Toolkit links young people, aged 11 to 25, to websites, apps, helplines, and more to build resilience and support them through the Coronavirus pandemic and beyond. The simple design enables users to take control of their mental health through a medium that suits them, with information, self-help, and advice about how to seek further support embedded throughout.

You can access the toolkit by clicking here.