How can we help?
THANK YOU!
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
The demand at Castle Surgery is very high and all of our team members are very busy.
It’s NOT that we do not want to help you. We would love to be able to help everyone.
NHS resources everywhere are overstretched.
We have been and are currently working behind the scenes to try and improve access with the resources that we do have and really do appreciate the patience you have shown us.
Medical Help
Admin
Prescriptions
Non-Urgent/ Routine Appointments
Non-urgent Help
Urgent Help on the Day
Accident & Emergency
999 Emergencies
- When you need to go to A&E but are too unwell to get there safely.
- Any immediate threat to life/safety
Call 999 now if you have any of these:
- signs of a heart attack pain like a very tight band, heavy weight or squeezing in the centre of your chest
- signs of a stroke face dropping on one side, can’t hold both arms up, difficulty speaking
- tried to end your life by taking something or harming yourself
- severe difficulty breathing not being able to get words out, choking or gasping
- heavy bleeding spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle
- severe injuries after a serious accident
- seizure (fit) someone is shaking or jerking because of a fit, or is unconscious (can’t be woken up)
- sudden, rapid swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue
Deaf people can use 18000 to contact 999 using text relay.
Minor Injuries Unit
-
Minor Injuries Unit, Neath Port Talbot Hospital
- 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,
- Neath Port Talbot Hospital, Baglan Way, Port Talbot, SA12 7BX.
- Contact number: 01639 862160
What’s in MIU?
- 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.
Mental Health Crisis
Need help fast?
There are a number of FREE helplines and websites:
- Samaritans – 116 123 (FREE and available 24/7) Email: jo@samaritans.org Go to the Samaritans website.
- C.A.L.L. Mental Health Helpline for Wales – 0800 132 737 (FREE and available 24/7) Text help to 81066. Go to the C.A.L.L. Mental Health Helpline for Wales.
- Dan 24/7 Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline – 0808 808 2234 (FREE and available 24/7, bilingual) Text Dan to 81066. Go to the Dan 24/7 website.
- Wales Dementia Helpline – 0808 808 2235 (FREE) Text help to 81066. Go to the Wales Dementia Helpline website.
Safety at immediate risk?
- Try to get to a place of safety, like a hospital. If you cannot, please phone 999 urgently.
Self Help
Self-Help isn’t about being left on your own.
Self Help is about learning to know when you can look after yourself, and when to seek help from other health professionals.
Take a look at the symptom checker for advice on symptoms, or the NHS conditions on specific medical conditions.
We’ve grouped some of the common conditions below.
Common Conditions
Take a look at the conditions below. Did you know, your local pharmacy can help with various common ailments too?
For the Full NHS A to Z list, you can click here.
There is also a huge A to Z video library if you want to watch, listen and learn about a medical condition
Allergies
Breathing Issues
Cardiovascular (Heart)
Dizziness
Feet
- Foot pain
- Gout
- Verruca
- Athlete’s Foot
- Fungal Nail
- Get appointment with Podiatry by calling 0300 300 0024
General
Headache
Kidney problems
Mental Health
- Anxiety and Panic Attacks
- Depression
- Low Mood
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Social anxiety (social phobia)
- Stress
- Mental Health Conditions
- Agoraphobia
- Anger
- Anorexia nervosa
- Binge eating disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Claustrophobia
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- General anxiety disorder
- Health anxiety
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Phobias
- Postnatal depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
Nose & Sinus
Pain
Periods and Pregnancy
Obesity
Oral and Mouth Problems
Sexual & Genital Health
You can contact the local Sexual Health Clinic
Call 0300 5550279
or email SBU.SexualHealth@wales.nhs.uk
Throat & Voice
Appointment
Our phone lines are open from 08:00 am to 6:30 pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays).
We operate a telephone triage first. This is from 08:00 am to 11:00 am Monday to Friday.
Because there is a limit to the amount of safe consultations that can be made, the triage times may close earlier in order to safely deal with urgent cases for the day.
You can still seek medical help through various resources, including 111 by phone, 111 online or the self-help section.
Triage
Triage allows the clinicians to manage large volume of calls by prioritising urgency of calls.
This is why our Medical Reception are trained to ask you certain questions because this can enable us to quickly decide what action needs to be taken.
We are extremely grateful for your patience and understanding.
We are making changes continually to manage demand in the safest way possible.
- Our Medical Reception team are trained to ask you certain questions.
- This can enable the clinicians to quickly decide what action needs to be taken.
- The more information you share, the more we may be able to help you.
- At times, our team may give advice and signpost to more appropriate services that we have advised our team.
- However, we appreciate personal preferences and you do not have to disclose anything.
- Please note, they aren’t asking to be nosy. They ask questions because it helps our clinicians know the context of your call in order to best help you or your loved one in need.
- We apologise that we cannot guarantee when you will be called back. Castle Surgery is open from 08:00 am and closes at 6:30pm.
- Your team of clinicians will aim to call you back as soon as they are able and we are grateful for your understanding that at times there may be others in our community that become acutely unwell or require urgent medical attention.
- PLEASE NOTE: Castle Surgery is a General Practice and not an emergency service.
- We would like our patients to be safe and NOT wait for any call backs if you are experiencing any symptoms or problems that cannot wait and should be helped instead by our emergency colleagues.
- Likewise, if your problem isn’t an emergency or immediately lifethreatening, please avoid going to A&E.
- In the event that you are unsure, by all means, please call us and we aim to help you as soon as we can.
- There are many instances that your clinician will ask you to attend to be seen or examined.
- This is to confirm what your clinician is suspecting as diagnosis from what you’ve told them.
- However, not everyone will need to be seen. Often our patients don’t want to be seen or just want advice or information.
- According to Patient.info, it is said that over 80% of diagnosis are made on history alone.
- With the advent of video and pictures, that increases the number.
- This is because your history of events, the context of your background helps to paint a picture of a pattern of what most likely is happening.
- Common things occur commonly but you will also be asked questions to ensure you aren’t experiencing anything that is sinister or needs to be dealt with as an emergency.
- That said, there will be times when we would offer an appointment.]
Source:
- Summerton N; The medical history as a diagnostic technology. Br J Gen Pract. 2008 Apr58(549):273-6. doi: 10.3399/bjgp08X279779.
- To ensure those frail and vulnerable in the community still receive the right care, we may need to arrange home visits.
- We are grateful for your understanding in prioritising patients who are housebound.
- Home visits may be undertaken by a range of clinicians, including doctors, practice nurses, district nurses, paramedics and healthcare assistant.
- We often will telephone first to ensure the right team member is in assistance.
Engaged phone line?
We are here!
At times we may have unforseen illness and absences.
However, if you redial, you should eventually get through.
We apologise that this means some people can get through in under 2 minutes whilst some have to try several times first.
- We are definitely exploring options into improving our telephone lines
- One of the ways we are trying to reduce pressure on the phones is by utilising our online web platform.
- By allowing more access online, it means those that need or can only use the telephones may find it easier to access.
What is UPCC ?
- Cough/suspected chest infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Tonsilitis/sore throats
- Sudden onset abdominal pain
- Adults and children with fever
- Sudden onset rashes
- Skin infection – cellulitis and impetigo
- Acute, severe back pain
- Exacerbations of asthma
- Exacerbations of COPD
- Severe ear ache
- Acute pregnancy problems e.g. bleeding/vomiting
- Shingles
- Acute pain – new onset
- Conjunctivitis of all ages
- Childhood eczema
- Nappy rash
- Chest pain and palpitations
- Ongoing care of chronic medical issues
- UPCC is based in Neath Port Talbot Hospital.
- This is near, but not in, MIU
- UPCC is sometimes in morriston. This is by Costa Coffee at main entrance.
- The GP/Nurse Practitioner on the day will review the information you have shared with our reception team.
- Depending on the demand on the surgery, if your symptoms are appropriate, our team will pass your details to UPCC who will phone you.
- Yes, some things can be dealth with remotely.
Online Booking for Triage
(Trial)